By Kristen Bannerman, Leah Clark, Jacqueline Munis and Jaden Perry, NABJ Monitor
Errin Haines, editor-at-large of The 19th, was elected the 24th president of the National Association of Black Journalists on Friday, becoming the first journalist at the helm of a digital startup to lead the organization.
Haines won 530 votes, edging out incumbent Ken Lemon, who received 309, and financial journalist Dion Rabouin, who grabbed 92.
“I’m not going to hold y’all. I just want to thank you,” said Haines, who was delayed to Friday’s news conference announcing her presidential win because she was on the phone with her mother. “One of the great honors of my life and my career.”
Walter Smith Randolph won as vice president-broadcast, receiving 445 votes, beating out his challenger by one vote. Roland Martin was elected vice president-digital, Khorri Atkinson will serve as secretary and Melanie Roy was elected Region I director. Steve Crocker and A’lauren Gilchrist were both in uncontested races for Region III director and student representative respectively.
Also on the ballot, a constitutional amendment passed, reverting the preamble to its previous version by adding the word “racism.” The amendment passed by 89%, and replaces the word “nationwide” with “worldwide,” as well.
Haines’ victory comes at a moment many have described as critical for both NABJ and the journalism industry. With press freedom and diversity efforts under attack and the organization facing shrinking finances, much of the focus on the campaign season was how candidates would assist in continuing the mission of NABJ for the next 50 years.
She campaigned on modernization and making NABJ more “future-facing,” supporting emerging journalists, and protecting press freedom. Haines built a coalition of print, digital and broadcast journalists and gained endorsements from the likes of Jelani Cobb, the dean of the Columbia Journalism School and staff writer for The New Yorker, and former MSNBC anchor Joy-Ann Reid.
“I’m so glad this is over and that the next part is going to start,” Haines said. “I’m not shocked, but I’m glad that this is a mandate from the membership that we are ready for a new day in our next 50 years.”
Haines, a co-founder of the 19th — an online nonprofit newsroom that reports on gender, politics and policy that launched in 2020 — was NABJ vice president of print from 2011 to 2015. She currently serves as vice president-print at the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, which she also held from 2008 to 2010. She co-founded the NABJ Young Journalists Task Force and helped create the Emerging Journalist of the Year Award, which she received in 2006.
Lemon, a reporter at WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, has served as NABJ president since 2023 and previously served two terms as vice president of broadcast, president of the Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists and NABJ Region III director.
“We run to see who gets in the seat, but we all have a mission to serve,” he said of the presidential race. “That mission doesn’t stop no matter who’s at the top, and that mission doesn’t end for all of us. We all work together to make sure we achieve that because that’s more important than one person.”
Lemon becomes the first NABJ president since the organization’s constitution was changed in 2014 to not be reelected.
Rabouin said he ran the best campaign he could have and asked people to vote until the last minute. He thinks Haines’ win is a “step in the right direction.”
“Even though I didn’t win, pieces of my platform are gonna become things that the organization has to do, which if that happens then we won, right?” he said.
Haines will begin her term as president on Sunday during the board of directors meeting.
Elise Durham, who was recently named as NABJ’s next executive director by the previous leadership, had nothing but praise for Haines, a fellow Atlanta chapter member.
“Women move the world, and so I am just humbled and honored that together we are in some ways making history,” Durham said. “I don’t know that there’s ever been a president and an executive director from the same city, right? And we are both in NABJ babies, now at the helm of this organization.”
Durham recalled the early years of her relationship with Haines.
“It’s what NABJ’s all about: Each one, teach one, reach one,” Durham said. “I helped mentor Errin along the years. Someone mentored me, right? And she’s absolutely right in that we need each other now more than ever. And we got to stop the fighting, so that we can move forward and do the really important work of impacting this industry.”
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