NABJ Withdraws From UNITY

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) April 10, 2011- After careful consideration and thoughtful deliberation, the National Association of Black Journalists, Inc. (NABJ), a founding organization of UNITY: Journalists of Color Inc., voted today to discontinue its participation in UNITY. While NABJ remains committed to the coalition's mission of achieving parity in newsroom employment and accurate coverage of people of color, NABJ board members concluded that as a business model, UNITY no longer is the most financially prudent for NABJ and its membership. NABJ, with the support of members of the Founders' Task Force and Council of Presidents, will withdraw from UNITY and its 2012 convention. NABJ will hold its own convention in 2012. As the largest organization of journalists of color, NABJ remains vigilantly committed to the common ideals for which UNITY was founded, and further, remains allied with each UNITY partner in its individual mission of achieving these goals.  ###

I find this to be very disheartening news. I was looking forwards to attending a UNITY conference but I doubt NABJ would make a decision this huge without strong consideration. I'm sure our 2012 conference will go on without a hitch and you'll probably see me hustling for that one as well! I hope this decision doesn't create any hard feelings between NABJ and the UNITY organizations. Journalists of color need to stick together, especially in light of statistics being released stating journalists of color are essentially disappearing from newsrooms.