How will NABJ be remembered?

By Leah Clark

A red vest littered with pins from throughout the years. Conference books from some of the first conventions. A blanket stitching together years of commemorative T-shirts. As NABJ begins its next 50 years, the question remains: Will these artifacts from Black journalists outlast its owners?

These and other memorabilia were on display in an exhibit at the front of the Career Fair during NABJ’s 50th anniversary convention in Cleveland. 

“It brought [the history] to my attention and told me about the book signing and all the founders as well. I thought it was pretty cool,” said Jalen Weathers, a recent Arizona State University graduate who came to the convention in search of a job. “Because I’m a Black man, a Black journalist, and Black in the media world, I think it’s important that I recognize the people that came before us.”

The exhibit celebrated the organization’s milestone, showcasing memorabilia collected by NABJ founders over the years. Attendees could view the items and add their names to a commemorative book marking the 50th convention.

According to Allison Davis, a founding member of NABJ, the commemorative book is a step up from the legal pad she signed when the organization was established in 1975. 

In 2020, Wayne Dawkins got a call from then-NABJ President Dorothy Tucker that led to the creation of the NABJ Archives Project. Its goal: preserve the organization’s history and its members’ accomplishments.

Dawkins has been collecting NABJ convention memorabilia since 1981. A professor at Morgan State University, he calls the archive a passion project and lights up when talking about NABJ and its artifacts.

“As I was calling around to people, my wife suddenly, when I hang up the phone, looks at me and says, ‘Are you nuts? You’re the person to do it,’” Dawkins said. “I was worried about a conflict of interest, but…when another firm gave the price for what they wanted to do it, I said, ‘No, I can do this for the friends and family rate.’”

As NABJ’s official historian, Dawkins receives memorabilia from members across the country.

What began as a few storage bins in his garage and coffee mugs in his cupboard has grown into stacked cases in a storage unit. Members regularly send him NABJ and personal items for preservation. 

Davis said she personally digitized pages from her collection, which proved useful in 2024 when NABJ President Ken Lemon cited the archives to defend a Q&A session with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Chicago convention.

Lemon pointed to NABJ’s long-standing tradition of inviting major presidential candidates to speak at its annual conventions. Letters preserved by Davis showed that the organization has extended such invitations since its first convention in 1976.

Most founders have shared their memorabilia with Dawkins. Most of NABJ’s digitized archives are kept on just two hard drives. Beyond this year’s exhibit, Davis and Dawkins both agree that NABJ’s memorabilia should have a permanent home. 

During a NABJ Board of Directors Candidates Forum held virtually in July, candidates for secretary and vice president-digital suggested online databases, libraries, universities and museums, such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, as possible options.

“I feel under pressure,” Dawkins said. “What if something happens to me? I’m holding the two files with all these records, so we need to get it done.”