Current:Home > ScamsIda B. Wells Society internships mired by funding issues, says Nikole Hannah-Jones -Momentum Wealth Path
Ida B. Wells Society internships mired by funding issues, says Nikole Hannah-Jones
View
Date:2025-04-13 21:13:53
Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, best known for founding The 1619 Project, said in an interview with a not-for-profit news organization that administrative delays have made it impossible to carry on with several academic projects intended to foster the careers of young Black investigative journalists.
As she told NC Newsline, the projects included a summer internship and a journalism program for high school students at North Carolina Central University. Both were to be funded by the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, an organization founded by four Black journalists, Hannah-Jones among them, in the spring of 2015.
The Ida B. Wells Society was named for a crusading Black journalist active in the late 1800s and early 20th century. It moved its headquarters from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019. Three years later, the school appointed Hannah-Jones to a named chair of Journalism at UNC's Hussman School of Journalism and Media. But only a month after the announcement in April 2021, she was denied tenure, in spite of a resume that included both a MacArthur "genius" grant and a Pulitzer Prize. The reason? Her award-winning work, most famously The 1619 Project, focused on the history of American racism. Right-wing activists described her appointment as "a degradation of journalist standards" and passionately campaigned against her.
In the wake of the national controversy, Hannah-Jones, herself a UNC-Chapel Hill alum, announced she would instead join the faculty of Howard University. There she helped launch the Center for Journalism and Democracy at the prestigious, historically Black school. Meanwhile, the Ida B. Wells Society moved to another HCBU, Morehouse College, in Atlanta, Ga. But the funding was slow to follow, according to NC Newsline.
Over the years, the Ida B. Wells Society has received approximately $3.8 million in funding from philanthropies, including the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Only about half of that amount has been transferred to Morehouse so far.
"We have completed the transfer of nearly $2.1M in funds to date," wrote the UNC-Chapel communications office in a statement to NPR. "We are working with Morehouse College and the relevant funding agencies on the process for the remaining fund transfers."
No one from the Ida B. Wells Society responded to multiple requests for comment from NPR. According to sources in the NC Newsline article, people involved in the Society believe the process has been unusually slow. When it moved from its original home at the City University of New York to Harvard University, transferring funds took a little more than a month. However, gift arrangements have evolved over time, and the process for establishing and executing the documentation is complex.
In the meantime, the Ida B. Wells Society told NC Newsline it is unable to draw on the operating funding it needs to launch the careers of a cohort of young journalists of color. There is no mention of this on the Ida B. Wells Society webpage, which does not appear to have been updated for nearly a year. And although its Twitter and Facebook accounts remain active, none of its recent posts refer to the organization's cancelations of programs.
veryGood! (3713)
Related
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- ‘Loved his family’: Obituary infuriated Michigan teen shot in face by stepdad
- Teen Mom's Briana DeJesus Says Past Relationships Taught Her to Look for Red Flags
- Ohio State officially announces Jake Diebler as men’s basketball head coach
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Riley Strain disappearance timeline: What we know about the missing college student
- Overnight shooting kills 2 and wounds 5 in Washington, D.C., police say
- 3 dead in Philadelphia suburbs shootings that prompted shelter-in-place orders
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- This man turned a Boeing 727-200 into his house: See inside Oregon's Airplane Home
Ranking
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Reba McEntire Denies Calling Taylor Swift an Entitled Little Brat
- It’s March Madness and more people than ever can legally bet on basketball games
- March Madness men's teams most likely to end Final Four droughts, ranked by heartbreak
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Stanley Tucci’s Exclusive Cookware Collection Is So Gorgeous, You’ll Even Want Your Kitchen to Match
- How a Maine 8-year-old inadvertently became a fashion trendsetter at his school
- In images: New England’s ‘Town Meeting’ tradition gives people a direct role in local democracy
Recommendation
Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
Lamar Odom Reacts to Khloe Kardashian’s Message Honoring Brother Rob Kardashian
'Yeah, I'm here': Katy O'Brian muscles her way into Hollywood with 'Love Lies Bleeding'
Get your 'regency' on: Bath & Body Works unveils new 'Bridgerton' themed collection
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
How Texas’ plans to arrest migrants for illegal entry would work if allowed to take effect
NC State completes miracle run, punches March Madness ticket with first ACC title since 1987
Dollar stores are hitting hard times, faced with shoplifting and inflation-weary shoppers