Since the beginning of the journey I wanted the experience itself to be my “thank you” to the program coordinators. I treat each assignment, opportunity and encounter as a “thank you.” From delving into the depths of “The Green Book” and its comparison to our travel experience, to attending city press briefings I’ve learned that the way that we say “thank you” is through what we produce.
Since starting with the Chevrolet Discover the Unexpected program, I have done many things I had not had the luxury of doing before. Driving the new Chevy Blazer that is part of the intern benefit, I have traveled and seen so much of the country I might never have seen. I have acted in commercials for Chevrolet and eaten crab cakes with celebrities DJ Envy and Fonzworth Bentley. It is just unbelievable how a year of hard work can take you places that you never dreamed of going.
Tedarius Abrams, Sharon Joy Washington and Elae Hill are three young future journalists from HBCUs who started their internships with the Chicago Crusader on Monday, July 8. Blessed with a string of perfect summer weather, they have crisscrossed the city over the last three days, taking selfies at the Bean at Millennium Park and the Riverwalk, to marveling at the mansions of Obama, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan and boxer Muhammad Ali.
Wednesday, July 10 marked the final print edition of the historic Chicago Defender. At some Walgreens stores in the city, customers stopped in just to buy the iconic newspaper for one last piece of nostalgia.
Our first assignment for The Chicago Crusader was to attend the press briefing that Mayor Lori Lightfoot held for news publications in the area. It was inspiring to watch her control the room and exert her power as the first Black female mayor of such a prominent city. She even gave us a shout out!
My first week working for The Chicago Crusader was fantastic. I got to broadcast on the “Talk of Chicago” radio station, I covered a youth all-star game and participated in one of Chicago’s major summer events, The Taste Of Chicago.
Week 5 in Chicago was beautiful. My team got to see many historical sights in the city including Ida B. Wells’ house. We also met Reverend Jesse Jackson which was inspiring.
The last week at The Atlanta Voice was spectacular, and the perfect finale to an outstanding experience. My team got to interview the owner of Slutty Vegan, Pinky Cole. I’ve been a big fan of Slutty Vegan since hearing about its efforts to provide healthy and delicious food options for the African American community in Atlanta’s West End.
Sadly, it was time to leave The Atlanta Voice this week. In such a short amount of time, I met so many great people who were so invested in my future and were ready to help me succeed. On our way to New Orleans, we were given media passes for our first Essence Fest experience.
This past week was very memorable for our team as we finished our month long story on The Green Book. We conducted final interviews with Dr. Chavis and Dr. Shantella Sherman, and wrapped up our story with one day to go
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