Black women made meaningful strides at the 160th Missouri Press Association Convention in Columbia — and The St. Louis American brought home seven first-place awards.
A special moment arrived for The St. Louis American when Taylor Marrie — a former intern and part-time photographer who worked full time as a photographer and videographer from 2024 to 2026 — was named the photographer of the Best Photo of the Year.
Marrie, 25, became the first Black woman photographer to win the award. The category debuted in 2023 and was first won by longtime American photographer Wiley Price, now retired.
Her winning photo, “Struttin’ their stuff,” was taken during the Street Runway Fashion Show at the House of Soul’s Juneteenth Festival on Washington Avenue. The image captures an exuberant model striding down the middle of the street, arms stretched wide and head tilted back, as spectators lining both sides of the makeshift runway watch, smile and take photos.
Marrie’s honor was among seven first-place awards won by The St. Louis American in the MPA’s 2026 Better Newspaper Contest. The American was recognized for its coverage of the May 16, 2025, tornado, news and feature reporting, government reporting, editorial writing, community service and photography.
“I’m so proud of this staff and the hard work they put in every day for our readers, whether they get their news from us in print or on our digital platforms,” Executive Editor Rod Hicks said. “Their work keeps getting stronger, and our readers are better informed about the issues and events that matter to them.”
The Missouri Press Association, which has nearly 200 member newspapers, held its 160th Annual Missouri Press Convention and Trade Show Sept. 24-26.
The St. Louis American, a long-standing MPA member, continues to maintain a presence at the convention and a seat on the board. Last year, Dawn Suggs was elected to a two-year term as National Newspaper Association state chair for MPA. With her election, Suggs, who serves as digital director and manager of the publisher’s office for The St. Louis American, became the first Black woman to serve on the MPA board this year.
Black women reached another milestone Friday when Kansas City Star senior opinion columnist Mará Rose Williams became only the third Black woman inducted into the Missouri Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Lucile H. Bluford, editor of The Kansas City Call, became the first Black woman inducted, posthumously, in 2009. Kia Breaux, regional director of The Associated Press, was the second in 2020.
Williams has worked for The Kansas City Star for nearly 30 years, but traces of the Long Island, New York, native’s accent can still be heard in her speech. The reporter turned editor and opinion writer described a career that has taken her from covering police and courts to social justice, health care, culture, education and municipal government.
During the Hall of Fame ceremony, Williams spoke about the work that shaped her career and the lessons she carried forward. She reflected on leading The Truth in Black and White, the seven-story project that confronted The Star’s decades-long failure to adequately and fairly cover Kansas City’s Black community.
“What the industry learned from that project was the importance of community engagement,” Williams said. “If you are not in the community cultivating a trusting relationship with those community members, you are likely failing to amplify the voices of the community.”
Video tributes to Williams and the other Hall of Fame inductees offered a mosaic of nearly 50 years of journalism history and the ongoing struggle to protect First Amendment rights and Missouri’s Sunshine Law.
The three-day gathering included discussions about artificial intelligence, the future of print journalism, preserving newspaper archives and strengthening connections between newspapers, schools and their communities.
The convention concluded Saturday with an awards brunch recognizing winners of MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest, Rural Missouri Newspaper Scholarship recipients, Outstanding Young Journalists and Sunshine Hero awardees.
MPA’s newest honor, Journalist of the Year, was presented to Amanda Mendez, publisher of the Howell County News in Willow Springs. The award recognizes coverage with significant local or statewide impact. Mendez’s reporting held the local school board accountable for fiscal mismanagement, leading to a new budget and the election of several new board members.
The American’s first-place awards
The St. Louis American won seven first-place awards in the 2026 Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest:
- Best Multimedia Reporting (Classes 1, 2 & 3): Coverage of the May 16, 2025, tornado
- Best News and Feature Series (Class 3): Ashley Winters
- Best Story About Government (Class 3): Sylvester Brown Jr.
- Best Editorial (Class 3): Staff
- Community Service (Classes 2 & 3)
- Best Photo of the Year: Taylor Marrie
- Best Feature Photograph (Class 3): Taylor Marrie
For a complete list of awards, visit the Missouri Press Association’s 2026 Better Newspaper Contest Winners page at mopress.com.