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Hunter-Gault Keeps The Awards Coming

by Sarah Goldfarb
02/12/2007

In front of a capacity filled South PJ Auditorium, the University of Georgia's first African American female graduate added to her scores of accolades Thursday night.

The nation's oldest professional broadcasting society, DiGamma Kappa, presented its 34th Annual Distinguished Achievement Award in Broadcasting to Charlayne Hunter-Gault.

Introducing Hunter-Gault was none other than former chairman and CEO of Cable News Network News Group and fellow Grady alumnus, Tom Johnson. In fact, Johnson himself received the prestigious award in 1999.

Johnson reflected upon his experiences at the university during the tumultuous times of the Civil Rights Era. As editor of the Red and Black, he was aware of Hunter-Gault's journalistic talents and invited her to join the staff. Eventually though, because other journalists made her feel unwelcome, Hunter-Gault left the Red and Black, he said.

"I have always admired her since she walked through the arch very courageously in 1961... a woman who made it the hard way, who represents the very best in the profession of journalism," Johnson said.

Hunter-Gault graduated from the University in 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Grady College. She became the first African-American writer for the New Yorker. Since then, she has received countless awards and was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in 2005.

From 1999-2005, Hunter-Gault worked as the Johannesburg, South Africa bureau chief and chief correspondent in Africa. Since 2005, she has worked as a NPR foreign correspondent in South Africa.

News Out of Africa: Uncovering Africa's Renaissance is her latest book. In the book and on stage, she said Africans are not fond of Western media, because they accentuate setbacks instead of presenting Africa's successes.

Though she does not believe it is possible to be truly objective in journalism, she emphasized fairness and balance. "You can be true to your profession and care about people," Hunter-Gault said.

As a student at the University, Hunter-Gault faced discrimination on a daily basis. Though she enrolled in January of 1961, the dining halls and other public places were not integrated until March of 1961.

When asked if eating separately or other acts of prejudice marred her experience as a college student, Hunter-Gault said, "there was always some situation to keep my optimism alive."

Hunter-Gault said her courage and determination were instilled in her as a child by her grandmother and stressed the importance of upholding those core values throughout life.

Adam Penaflorida, a senior Economics major from Roswell said, "she is a remarkable speaker... it was a privilege to be in her presence tonight."