NABJ-Tulsa 2023 Salute to Excellence Awards Gala Souvenir Booklet

Salute to Excellence Gala “Making Our News Shine” Souvenir Booklet

Tulsa Community College Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity 910 South Boston Avenue | Tulsa, Oklahoma December 8, 2023

FOUNDATION CONGRATULATIONS TO DEVIN BANKS AND MONICA LONG THIS YEAR’S NABJ-TULSA TCC BOOK SCHOLARS

WHY GIVE? Donations equal an avalanche of success…like the book a first-generation student needs to finish the first semester. Or the spark that leads to completing an associate degree… then a four-year degree. The career that follows changes the life of not just that student, but the whole family and builds a legacy of success.

From the Desk of the NABJ-Tulsa Chapter President It is one of my greatest honors to serve and advocate on behalf of the National Association of Black Journalists as president of NABJ-Tulsa’s Chapter.

As I reflect on another phenomenal year in our chapter revitalization efforts, I'm proud we enhanced our annual Salute to Excellence Awards Gala to even greater heights.

We honored Tulsa journalism icons, trailblazers and shed light on the need for journalists of color to represent not only our community, but nationwide. On behalf of NABJTulsa, I want to thank our many sponsors who helped make this event possible. We're so thankful for your continued support and recognition of the efforts of our organization as we look forward to enhancing the program further in 2024.

I want to encourage you all to again support us in our upcoming National Association of Black Journalists Regional Conference that we will host April 12-14.

Journalists from 11 states in Region III of our national organization will come to network and gain career development training and participate in enriching workshops. The event also serves as a chance to highlight the strong history of Black Tulsans and the role that the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre left and still leaves in society today.

In 2023, as an organization, we led a lot of enriching programming and I look forward to seeing it expand even more this year.

Some of our most memorable activities included aiding in the redevelopment of an NABJ student chapter at Oklahoma’s only HBCU, Langston University. Fall 2023, Langston University was approved as a student chapter affiliate of the NABJ. During Summer 2023, members volunteered at three of Tulsa’s most iconic festivals; the Black Wall Street Rally, Black Wall Street Legacy Fest, and the Tulsa Juneteenth Festival. Members raised money in support of Tulsa media icon, Martha Vaughan's need for a double lung transplant. NABJ-Tulsa with the support of many media friends, volunteers and family, helped raise $22,000 to assist Martha along her journey. She received the transplant on June 17 and is now recovering.

The organization also makes it a priority to give back to Tulsa and the surrounding community. Last year, we collected and donated clothing to our local shelter, the ‘Day Center’ and volunteered at the largest regional Food Bank in Northeastern Oklahoma to help combat food insecurity.

Again we look forward to existing and new partnerships and the great things to come in 2024!

Autumn Bracey

From the Desk of the NABJ-Tulsa Gala Chairwoman It was my pleasure to serve as chairwoman of the 2023 Salute to Excellence Awards Gala.

I’m honored to add this to my list of opportunities and thought I’d share my personal story on how I landed here.

I moved to Tulsa in August 2022 to start my broadcast journalism career. As a recent graduate who spent half of my college journey in a pandemic, I felt I missed out on a lot of things. I remember my college NABJ chapter dissolving shortly after I moved to college. I knew once I graduated, I wanted to be connected with a local chapter.

My time at Texas Tech went by fast and I’m thankful for anyone who played a role in my journey. I can vividly remember the excitement and nerves I had moving to a new community when I joined the News On 6 team summer 2022.

I pride myself on being a community-focused storyteller and I knew I needed to learn about the history and culture to tell accurate stories.

In the midst of finding my voice as a storyteller, I joined NABJ-Tulsa. I worked alongside two NABJ-Tulsa members who welcomed me with open arms.

When I think about NABJ, two words come to mind: community and legacy. It’s not easy being in spaces where not many people look like me, but having an organization which advocates on behalf of Black journalists and media professionals gives me a since of pride.

I jumped at the role of gala chair and while it was a true labor of love, being able to celebrate the honorees was a sight to see.

Our theme was Making Our News Shine and while the goal of the event was to highlight the work and commitment of Tulsa’s black media professionals; we wanted to let the journalists and communicators know we see you.

We see your shine, we see you delivering excellence in storytelling, we see you out there in the community, sharing the Black experience and giving a voice to so many issues.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to create my own legacy in the Tulsa community. I will always give acknowledgment to the journalists who created a space for me.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank God for opening doors for me, my parents who served as mentors during the planning journey, and the gala committee (Madame President Autumn Bracey, Mia Fleming, Jerry Goodwin, Russell LaCour, Mary L. Williams, Oscar Pea, and Carmen Pettie) who walked this journey with me.

MaKayla Glenn

Tiffany Cross, Special Remarks Tiffany most recently hosted The Cross Connection on MSNBC. She served 2020 Resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics. She is a published author having written Say It

Special Honors NABJ’s most coveted awards honor the groundbreaking accomplishments of Oklahoma Black journalists and those in the state who support the Black community in the media.

Louder-Black Voters, White Narratives and Saving Our Democracy. She is a longtime cable news veteran having previously served as the D.C. Bureau Chief for BET Networks, an Associate Producer for CNN, and a freelance Field Producer. Tiffany also spent time on the campaign trail having both covered and worked on numerous

local, state, and federal campaigns. She moved from the control room to the greenroom when she co-founded The Beat DC, a national platform that intersected politics, policy, business, media, and people of color. She attended Clark Atlanta University and lives in Washington, D.C.

Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame NABJ pays homage to legendary Oklahoma Black journalists who have made outstanding contributions to the industry.

National Association of Black Journalists-Tulsa

Salute to Excellence Awards Gala “Making Our News Shine” Friday, December 8, 2023, 6 p.m.

WELCOME MaKayla Glenn, Gala Chairwoman NABJ REMARKS

Autumn Bracey, NABJ-Tulsa President Eva Coleman, NABJ Region 3 Director INVOCATION

Mary L. Williams

DINNER & MUSIC Brian Jones

SPECIAL REMARKS Tiffany Cross

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Aaron Bernard, Perry Publishing & Broadcasting BEST PRACTICES AWARD

Nehemiah D. Frank, Black Wall Street Times COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Mia Fleming, Mia Fleming Media NABJ-TULSA OUTSTANDING CHAPTER MEMBER MaKayla Glenn, KOTV News on 6 MUSICAL TRIBUTE Brian Jones

OKLAHOMA BLACK JOURNALISTS HALL OF FAME Martha Vaughan, Former VP & General Manager

Carla Hinton, Newspaper Religion Editor

Ted Terry, Radio Executive, Artist Manager Leon Rollerson, TV Producer, Educator

YVONNE LEWIS URBAN JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP Gerard Lewis, Langston University TCC BOOK SCHOLARS

Devin Banks, TCC | Monica Long, TCC CLOSING REMARKS Autumn Bracey

Special Honors

Lifetime Achievement Award Aaron Bernard Perry Publishing & Broadcasting

Aaron Bernard has lived many places while growing up but two of them have had the most influence on who he has become, St. Thomas U.S. V.I. (where he went to elementary school and was exposed to Caribbean music and culture) and N.Y. (Queens/Long Island where he was from 6th grade to high school graduation and entered the military) joining the U.S. Army.

Upon high school graduation in 1984, he was stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C. He completed graphics illustrator school in Denver, Co. (Lowery AFB). Bernard finished broadcasting school (DINFOS Defense Information School) in Indiana (Ft. Benjamin Harrison) then served three years in Asia (Okinawa, Japan with assignments in Korea & the Philippines) as a broadcast journalist for FEN (the Far East Network).

In 1990 he was able to start a civilian career in radio to this day, living in Oklahoma since 1995 and is currently Assistant Program Director/Air-personality and host of the Ol’ School Sunday Night Live 6-11p.m. on KJAMZ 105.3 FM. Outside of radio he is a proud Dad to his now 7-year-old daughter, Marleigh and 14year-old son, Liam, doing things involving music, travel and DJing off and on since high school. He is also back DJing the music he loves for private and public events.

Beyond his service to our country, Bernard has provided a consistent voice at 105.3 FM and leadership for nearly 30 years in Tulsa.

Special Honors

Best Practices Award Nehemiah D. Frank

Build in Tulsa Empowers Entrepreneurs this Black History Month Nehemiah D. Frank (left) and MSNBC Host of the Cross Connection, Tiffany Cross Excerpts and photos Courtesy theblackwallsttimes.com/

TULSA, Okla. – Local entrepreneurs looking to break into tech or simply sharpen their business skills can take advantage of free programming from Build in Tulsa this Black History Month. Build in Tulsa honors Black History by providing un-

The Black Wall Street Times was founded by Nehemiah D. Frank in 2017.

Nehemiah is a descendant of families who lived in the Greenwood District, which became famously known as Black Wall Street after Booker T. Washington dubbed the community the “Negro Wall Street of America.”

This prosperous community was the victim of the worst act of racial violence against Black people in American history during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

As a means of honoring the victims, survivors, and descendants, Nehemiah named his publication The Black Wall Street Times.

He currently serves as the publication’s editor-in-chief.

Although The Black Wall Street Times began solely as a Tulsa-based newspaper, it has gained national and international recognition following global coverage of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre centennial. As a means of serving African-Americans in other regions of the country, the publication expanded its journalistic focus to include national issues. The Black Wall Street Times, however, maintains a hyperfocus on issues affecting the City of Tulsa and the Greenwood community or Black Tulsans.

The founder and the news publication have been featured on MSNBC, NBC, ABC, BBC, Forbes, Fortune, Market Watch, TIME, Politico, and more.

(From theblackwallsttimes.com/)

Special Honors

Community Service Award Mia Fleming Mia Fleming Media

Mia Fleming is an award-winning journalist, television personality and the founder of “Mia’s Million Reasons Why”TM (MMRW), an innovative business and philanthropic movement for social change. MMRW is a unique charitable giving movement about changing millions of lives for the better by sharing news, stories and interviews about giving on various multimedia platforms.

Mia hosts “The Good Life List” on the News on 6, a weekly segment where she encourages women to live life to the fullest: Try new things... Face your fears… and Embrace who you are.

Mia has always felt a connection to helping those in need. As the co-founder of the MVP Foundation, she has helped raise over $200,000 for programs for inner-city kids. Programs such as MVP Fatherhood Weekend (2012-2015), the Salvation Army North Mabee Boys & Girls Club (2009 -2010), and the Mayor’s Mentoring to the Max program (2009). Mia has helped raise much needed awareness and, in some cases, funds for a myriad of organizations close to her heart, such as the Mental Health Association, H.O.P.E (benefiting HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C awareness, prevention and education), the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, the Tulsa Dream Center, the Make a Wish Foundation, and the MS Society.

Special Honors

NABJ-Tulsa Outstanding Member MaKayla Glenn KOTV News on 6

MaKayla Glenn has proven to be an excellent example and asset to NABJTulsa and the broader community.

MaKayla demonstrated extraordinary planning and creativity as the chairwoman of the Gala Committee this year raising the bar for future scholarship events.

She also showed her ability to raise funds for the chapter by leading the NABJ-Tulsa popcorn fundraiser far and above all other members.

Over the summer, MaKayla joined chapter members in the hot sun on historic Greenwood for three festivals to help raise money for Oklahoma media icon and NABJ-Tulsa founder Martha Vaughan for an urgently needed lung transplant.

Often media people are not seen as being willing to roll up their sleeves and work hard to accomplish an endeavor outside their day-to-day work.

MaKayla’s heart for giving back and her gift for organizing and laser-focus on the chapter’s goals will serve her well in her career as a journalist. Tulsa is lucky to have her.

Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame

The Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame was established by the Oklahoma City Association of Black Journalists as a way to honor Black journalists in Oklahoma for their lifelong efforts to enrich the community through storytelling or education of future journalists.

In line with the mission of the National Association of Black Journalists to pay homage to legendary Black journalists who have made outstanding contributions to the industry, OABJ inducted Joyce Jackson, the first Black woman to do TV news in Oklahoma at KOCO; Willard C. Pitts, Langston University Broadcast Journalism department chair and LU Gazette editor; Russell LaCour, founder of the NABJ High School Journalism Workshop (JSHOP) and print and radio veteran; and Rochelle Hines, Associated Press editor and University of Oklahoma journalism educator.

Since these early inductions, NABJ-Tulsa took over the Hall of Fame in 2015 inducting Yvonne Lewis, KTUL-TV anchor and reporter and Charles Shepherd, KOCO photojournalist, OABJ founder and longtime chapter president.

This year’s class seeks to add to this esteemed Hall of Black Journalists.

Martha Vaughan, the 1st Black woman to become Vice President and General Manager of a radio station in Oklahoma – Perry Publishing & Broadcasting Carla Hinton, Religion Editor for The Oklahoman, in OKC

Ted Terry, Radio personality, celebrity manager and community activist (posthumously) Leon Rollerson, Tulsa community TV producer, journalism educator and musician (posthumously)

Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame

Martha Vaughan

Perry Publishing & Broadcasting

When Martha Vaughan started her career in radio in 1993, she had already had five children. Her youngest was a toddler and her oldest was headed off to college. So, starting a new career may not have been on her agenda. Martha began in radio almost 30 years ago at a small station in Sand Springs, 1340AM KTOW, then on to KBEZ, KHTT. She moved on to Clear Channel. While at KMOD, at the time when radio stations were allowed to own up to five differently formatted stations in a market, she ranked in the top five in sales. Finally landing at KJMM with Perry Publishing & Broadcasting in 2003 where in 2007 she was given the opportunity to take the helm as the first Black female General Manager of a radio station in Oklahoma.

Early on, Martha admitted to knowing very little about radio sales. In fact, during her first radio interview, after hearing her responses to the interviewer, owner Tim Barazza asked her, “Do you know anything about radio?” She answered, “No, I don’t.” To which, he replied, “You’re hired.” Longtime salesman Harry Cooper, who became her mentor, helped ground her in fundamental radio sales. She learned quickly that radio sales was one-on-one getting to know someone’s business.

Martha looks at the Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame induction as someone who creates a footprint in the pathway to a blueprint. She lays the groundwork for those to come. And it wasn’t easy. There are those who worked with her who let her know they didn’t think she deserved to be where she was. Her first sale was the Boley Rodeo, out of one of Oklahoma’s first Black towns. Martha learned she had to be tougher or get bowled over. Martha is still at the top of her career as General Manager/Vice President at Perry Publishing & Broadcasting Tulsa.

And the rest is herstory.

Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame

Carla Hinton The Oklahoman

Carla Hinton is faith editor at The Oklahoman newspaper with a career that has spanned more than three decades. In the aftermath of the April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City bombing, Hinton was placed on a team of reporters assigned to provide long-term coverage of the bombing. In particular, she helped chronicle the recovery process for the youngest survivors of the tragedy. In 2002, she was assigned to cover religion, writing stories about faith and spirituality for The Oklahoman’s religion-themed feature section as well as breaking news for the paper’s main section.

Her broad coverage of religion and spirituality has taken her to many parts of Oklahoma, other states around the country and even overseas to Israel—a 2017 trip with seven Jews, seven Christians and seven Muslims from OKC and Tulsa, which spawned her award-winning series “Peace, Love & Falafel.”

In 2020, Hinton was part of a team of reporters who covered the 2020 Trump Rally/ Juneteenth festivities in Tulsa. She returned to Tulsa in 2021 as part of a reporting team covering the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre centennial for six days of interviews and special events, which included a one-on-one interview with Mother Randle, one of the last remaining survivors.

Highlights of her career include interviewing people like the Rev. Billy Graham, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, former President Jimmy Carter and her favorite recording artist, Fred Hammond.

In addition to her numerous awards for her humanitarian efforts and reporting, Hinton has also been inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Oklahoma African American Hall of Fame in 2018.

Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame

Ted Terry Posthumously

At left, Torrance Terry and Tracie Terry Pinkston received the award in their father’s honor from Mary L. Williams at the NABJ-Tulsa Gala. -Photo by Cory Young At right, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simspson posed with Ted Terry at KJLH, Stevie Wonder’s Los Angeles radio station. Below right, Terry is at the mic at Radiovision/KWAB in Tulsa, circa 1984.

Theodore “Ted” Terry, Jr. was a celebrity in radio, television, and community activism. His love of music, in particular, would follow him into many ventures. He managed noted civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory and can be remembered for the success of his brainchild, “Turn Me Loose,” a one-man biographical adaptation of the life and times of Gregory.

Terry’s work in music programming was itself legendary among producers throughout the industry. His vast network took him inside and behind the scenes of America’s most well-known celebrities like Stevie Wonder, Della Reese, Teena Marie and especially in the African American community.

“Ted E. Bear,” as he was known by his many fans, was a mainstay in national radio outlets including WBLS R&B (New York), KYAC (Seattle), KJLH (Los Angeles), KVOO CW and KRAV (AC) in Tulsa. Most notably, Ted managed and produced KKUL, the first Black radio station in Tulsa and followed as Program Director of Radiovision-KWAB, one of the nation’s first cable radio stations. In television, he served as producer at KJRH Scripps Howard Broadcasting and KOTV; and as a television broadcast producer at Ackerman Ad Agency in Tulsa.

Terry believed radio should be community oriented. Among his memorable stints as a community activist, he coordinated a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. community parade and produced a community service program on KJRH. His love of music saw him bringing to Tulsa several top musical groups and provided a way to give back to the community.

Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame

Leon Rollerson Posthumously

Tulsa native Leon Rollerson was a professional bass player, a teacher, a citizen advocate and community TV producer. Rollerson worked with students in and out of schools as a tutor, and mentor in music, television and media. He produced weekly community service television for many years and served as a community advocate with NTEDI, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Society, the Kids Against Hunger Initiative and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.

He founded the Leon Rollerson Production Diamond Awards to honor thousands of members of the community educators, first responders, musicians, community activists, veterans, athletes and artists.

Leon Rollerson spent the majority of his life telling the stories of people that often went unnoticed by major media outlets. For these reasons and many more, the late Leon Rollerson is inducted into the Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame.

Yvonne Lewis

Urban Journalism Scholarship

Gerard Lewis Langston University

Scholarship winner, Gerard Lewis (seen above in the tuxedo), is a Langston University junior majoring in Broadcast Journalism. Lewis is surrounded by Langston alumni and an instructor. From left are J. Monroe, Paris Rain, Langston Instructor Carylon Ross, Lewis, and Bianca Harris.

–Photo by Cory Young

To increase the number of African Americans in the Oklahoma communications industry, NABJ-Tulsa presented Langston University student Gerard Lewis with a $1,000 scholarship named after one of the organization’s most noted and dynamic founders, Yvonne Lewis. Yvonne retired from KTUL Ch. 8 after a long career as a weekend anchor/reporter. Yvonne is a lifetime member of NABJ.

NABJ-Tulsa Salute to Excellence Awards Gala

TCC Book Scholars

Devin Banks & Monica Long Tulsa Community College

Monica Long (left) and Devin Banks (right) received the award at the Gala with Dr. Jerry Goodwin. –Photo by Cory Young

NABJ-Tulsa presented two Tulsa Community College students, Devin Banks and Monica Long with $250 awards for books.

NABJ-Tulsa Salute to Excellence Awards Gala

Special Thanks Black Wall St. Times

Dana K. Glenn Michelle Jones-Chunu Ken Mack Jr. OPVEON

Carmen Pettie TCC Connection Misty Tippen Tropical Smoothie Café

Westview Clinic Roy Willis Jr. Shirley Willis

NABJ-Tulsa Salute to Excellence Awards Gala

Special Thanks Dr. Leigh Goodson | Dr. Angela Sivadon Dr. Greg Stone |Dr. Kristopher Copeland Dean Kelly Clark | Dr. Beverly Bailey

Michelle Dixon | Dean Annina Collier Cindy Barton | John Niemeyer Ethan Rolen | Ethan Gray Sam Levrault TCC Connection News Organization Staff and the Tulsa Community College Students, Faculty, Administrators, and Staff