By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Black women journalists often face systemic challenges, as their identities lie within two marginalized groups. They are often left to navigate the unique hardship of being Black and female on their own.
In recent years, leaders have created organizations that support Black women journalists, ensuring they don’t have to take on the journey alone.
Black Women Unmuted
“Black Women Unmuted is a laboratory newsroom that is devoted to telling the story of what Black women in politics and policymaker spaces are doing,” said Sonya Ross, a veteran journalist and founder of Black Women Unmuted. “It made sense for us to build a newsroom where we could give Black women a chance to amplify our voices in telling our own story.”
Ross elaborated on why different organizations and groups of people should support Black women journalists.
“People assume we don’t need investment, capital, support and nothing could be further from the truth. We need all those things,” said Ross. “Black women have done lots of the heavy lifting of propping up this democracy, particularly over the past 20 years, it makes sense that we have organizations that aim to uplift Black women journalists.”
Ross cited Black women’s voter turnout for former President Barack Obama in 2008 and Black women mobilizing in 2024 in an attempt to elect Kamala Harris as president, as times over the past decade where women were instrumental in the historical shifts in American politics.
Black women showed up for Harris at the polls with a 92 percent voter turnout, though Harris was ultimately unsuccessful in her bid.
Black Girls in Media
Black Girls in Media (BGIM) is a networking organization that aims to uplift minority women in the media workforce. The organization was created as a response to the unique issues that Black women in journalism and other media roles must face.
BGIM offers an array of opportunities and resources for Black women journalists such as conferences and events, a job board, mentors, career advice hours and much more.
Topics covered at BGIM events include how to secure a job as a television host, conquering imposter syndrome and how to land brand partnerships. BGIM also offers a blog via its website that provides quick tips on various topics. Some of those tips include how to stop self-depreciation and letting go of past traumas.
ColorComm
Created more than a decade ago in 2011, ColorComm is an organization focused on creating an ecosystem that trains, supports and empowers Black women who work in the communications field. The organization that began as a luncheon for Black women in media is now a group of professional women organized in chapters throughout the nation. ColorComm welcomes women who work in communications in a variety of capacities from journalists to press officers and more.
African Women in Media
Some organizations support African women in particular, who experience much of the same issues that Black women in the U.S. must deal with.
Dr. Yemisi Akinbobola, award-winning journalist and co-founder of African Women in Media (AWiM), said African women in media have to face job stagnation, the gender pay gap and sexual harassment.
“There’s this notion that certain job roles and beats are for women and others are for men,” said Akinbobola. “There’s also issues around work-life balance, especially in terms of maternity and parental care rights and the extent to which their environment is enabling women in those times in their lives.”
To help alleviate these stressors and support African women in their journalistic career endeavors, AViM utilizes annual conferences and a variety of projects and resources accessible around the world.
“Source Her is a platform where we have African women experts as a database,” said Akinbobola. “If you need an expert on peace and security, agriculture, astrophysics…there’s a platform where you can find African women who are experts in these areas.”