The St. Louis chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists will honor four veteran area journalists and media professionals during its annual Living Legends Honors on Saturday.
The event celebrates journalists who have used their platforms to inform, inspire and strengthen their communities while mentoring the next generation of storytellers.
This year’s honorees are Shirley Washington, a longtime, award-winning St. Louis news anchor and reporter; Mike Claiborne, St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcaster and former KMOX Radio host; Reginald Riddle-Young, a 34-year veteran writer and reporter with the East St. Louis Monitor; and Gloria Ross, a veteran public relations professional and entrepreneur.
Rod Hicks, executive editor of The St. Louis American, will deliver the keynote address, and recently retired KSDK-TV news director Art Holliday will serve as emcee. The event begins at 5 p.m. at Il Monastero, 3050 Olive St., on the campus of Saint Louis University, with a reception for the honorees followed by the awards ceremony.
Tickets are $40; $50 the day of the event. Proceeds support NABJ-St. Louis’ historic Minority Journalism Workshop for metro-area high school students, which provides thousands of dollars in annual scholarships.
Founded in 1976 as the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists, NABJ-St. Louis serves journalists, media professionals, educators and students across the region.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.