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By Darius Daughtry <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For NABJ\u2019s 50th convention, a historic number of attendees are flocking to Atlanta for the first time in 21 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NABJ Interim Executive Director Nate Chambers said in a board of directors meeting on Tuesday that registration stood at 3,907 attendees. Though the final number won\u2019t be known until Saturday, that total would be the third highest in NABJ history and 1,000 more than last year\u2019s attendance in Cleveland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attendees attributed their excitement for this year\u2019s convention to Atlanta\u2019s reputation as a beacon of Black culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAtlanta is a place where you can find pretty much everyone in every position in every career field that is Black and successful,\u201d said Asar John, who is attending his first convention since 2023. \u201cTo have that as a reflection at the NABJ conference is amazing and to have that concentration of Black professional journalists at NABJ, in the Black Mecca that is Atlanta, is amazing, and it\u2019s a once in a lifetime opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daishen Smith, who is attending his fourth convention, has visited Atlanta multiple times, but is still excited to have new experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI try and check out different things every time. There\u2019s a lot of history here,\u201d Smith said. \u201cEverywhere you look, there\u2019s some sort of Black imprint around here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year\u2019s convention also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, NABJ\u2019s second oldest chapter. In Tuesday\u2019s board meeting, AABJ President Condace Pressley spoke about Atlanta\u2019s significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a city where Black history, Black excellence, Black entrepreneurship, Black culture and Black journalism are woven into the fabric of who we are,\u201d Pressley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AABJ will host multiple special events throughout the week, such as their Opening Reception at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and two bus tours \u2013 all of which have sold out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The convention begins a day after Strategic Committee Chair Dr. Sheila Brooks mentioned the idea of shortening the convention in the board meeting as a means of mitigating NABJ\u2019s \u201cfinancial burden.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brooks said the committee looked at organizations similar to NABJ and noticed that \u201cnobody has a five-day convention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe just believe that you can have good programming in three days, and that does not mean that there\u2019s not other programming behind it,\u201d Brooks said in the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smith said he didn\u2019t like the idea, citing his truncated convention experience in 2024 due to prior commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just felt like I was cramming so much into that day and a half, two days, that, obviously, I missed some stuff,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI didn\u2019t get to everything I wanted to, so if you shortened it, that\u2019s probably going to be the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John said that he wouldn\u2019t have a problem with a shorter convention as long as the lost programming is replaced elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat else are you doing to replace that time loss? If there\u2019s no plan to replace that time that\u2019s lost, then how will that affect the chances of people getting a job or being able to network with other professionals?\u201d John said. \u201cWe have to think about that, especially in a time where the job market is not great.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"