GBH News Wins Two Awards From National Association Of Black Journalists

(Required) — WGBH celebrated 50 years of it’s series “Basic Black at the WGBH Studios in Bright on May 11, 2018. It’s been 50 years since ‘Say Brother’ first aired, highlighting voices from within the black community during the civil rights movement. Since then, the show has broadened its scope to issues affecting other communities of color, and changed its name to Basic Black. But some things still remain the same. Host Callie Crossley was joined by a special panel of guests and a live studio audience to discuss the show’s history and where it will go from here. From left to right: Phillip Martin, WGBH News investigative reporter and frequent guest of the show, Sarah-Ann Shaw, legendary Boston reporter and a member of the original Say Brother team; Darren Duarte, former host of Say Brother and Kim McLarin, former host of Basic Black.

December 23, 2020

Updated October 16, 2023

Led by radio and television host Callie Crossley, GBH News journalists won two awards from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) during the 2020 Salute to Excellence Award ceremony on Saturday, December 19. The NABJ Awards recognize the best reporting about the Black experience or issues affecting the Black community.

As the host of GBH’s Basic Black, Crossley was recognized in the Television – Top 15 Markets – Public Affairs: Interview/Discussion category for the episode “Men of Color and Mental Health.” The episode, in response to viewer requests, explored the topic of depression and other mental health issues among men of color—often a taboo topic in these communities. This award is shared across the Basic Black team with Executive Producer Delores Edwards; Associate Producer Kavontae Smalls, Production Manager/Editor Bob Judge and Director Rob Fagnant.

Callie Crossley was also recognized in the Radio – Top 15 Markets – Commentary category for “The Betrayal of Jay-Z’s Deal with the NFL.” Her commentary was critical of musician Jay-Z’s business deal with the National Football League, a surprising pivot from his previous vocal support for Colin Kaepernick. Crossley’s radio commentaries appear on GBH News each Monday.

“Since its origins as Say Brother in 1968, Basic Black has played an important role in sharing the stories and issues of local communities of color. Today, the show is more relevant than ever, thanks to the work of Callie, Delores and everyone involved with producing the show,” said Pam Johnston, General Manager for News at GBH. “During an especially challenging year for journalists, and Black journalists in particular, these awards pay tribute to the journalistic talent and devotion of an incredible team.”

When the NABJ award candidates were announced in November, GBH News received six nominations — more than any other media organization in the Top 15 Radio and Television Markets categories. “Returning African American Experiences to History’s Archives,” an Under the Radar with Callie Crossley segment, was recognized in the Public Affairs: Segment category. “The Long Journey North: The Forgotten Story of the Reverse Freedom Rides of 1962” received a nomination in the Documentary category. The story was written by GBH News reporter Gabrielle Emanuel, edited by senior managing editor Sean Corcoran and includes a video by senior digital producer Emily Judem. “After Racist Incident, MFA Opens the Door to Change,” reported by senior investigative reporter Phillip Martin and edited by senior editor Ken Cooper, was recognized in the Feature category.