Rattler Victories at National Journalism Convention
By Caryn Wilson -- Black College Wire   

Florida A&M University's School of Journalism and Graphic Communication celebrated two victories at the 2009-2010 National Association of Black Journalists convention in Tampa, Fla.

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The Famuan
NABJ president Kathy Times
The 3,200-member organization elected FAMU alumna Kathy Times as its 18th president and FAMU senior Georgia Dawkins as student representative. Times defeated radio talk-show host Angelo Henderson, with 57 percent of the votes. Times is currently an anchor for WDBD-TV in Jackson, Miss., and will serve as president until 2011.

During a news conference announcing the election results, Times shared her love for FAMU.

“I was editor of The Famuan, and I got leadership training through that,” Times said. “I learned accuracy counts. If you made one fact error you got an F (grade)…and that made me a better journalist.”

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The Famuan
FAMU senior Georgia Dawkins
Dawkins, a senior broadcast journalism student from Sebring, Fla., said her former position as president for FAMU’s NABJ helped prepare her for the national position.

“This organization has provided me with countless opportunities to expand my skills and my network,” Dawkins said. Dawkins led the chapter to win the 2008 NABJ Student Chapter of the Year.

Dawkins said she has a mission of retention and active membership for the organization. “I wish to pay forward what has been invested in my career by empowering students with the knowledge we need to lead this industry,” she said.

NABJ, founded in 1975, is currently the largest organization of journalists of color.                                              

Caryn Wilson writes for The Famuan, the Florida A&M University student newspaper, which originally published this article.
Posted Aug. 20, 2009