HBCU Journalism Students Tapped For Prestigious Summer Fellowship

WASHINGTON D.C. – Chevrolet is putting more students in the driver’s seat with the expansion of its Discover the Unexpected (DTU) fellowship program. Now in its second year, DTU provides college students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) the opportunity to change the narrative of media reporting in the African American community with the help of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

The eight 2017 DTU Fellowship Program students are Jordan Fisher and Tiana Hunt of Clark Atlanta University, Taylor Burris of Spelman College, Darrell Williams of Morehouse College, Kelsey Jones of Spelman College, Ayron Lewallen of Morehouse College, Noni Marshall and Alexa Imani Spencer of Howard University.

Students will work in partnership with NNPA member newspapers in Washington D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans and Raleigh-Durham.

“Last year we were honored to launch the DTU fellowship program at Howard University and meet a group of very talented journalism students,” said U.S. Vice President of Chevrolet Marketing Paul Edwards. “Their enthusiasm, insight and determination made the selection process extremely difficult. We’re excited to send more trailblazers on the road to highlight the positive, inspire hope and document the legacy of African American voices for generations to come.”

This year, DTU fellows will work with editors and reporters from the Washington Informer, The Atlanta Voice, Louisiana Weekly and The Carolinian.

“The NNPA is looking forward to welcoming the next group of fellows to the program,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Ben Chavis Jr. “Our 2016 fellows showed that despite the negative perceptions seen in the media, there are also beautiful and powerful stories in African-American neighborhoods across the country. Our 2017 Fellows will continue sharing stories of community advocates, making impactful and lasting changes on a local and global level.”

The fellowship program is open to communications, mass media, and visual arts students. A panel of judges consisting of NNPA and AUCC staff conducted on-site interviews during the program’s AUC launch.

Chevrolet awarded eight $10,000 scholarships to each fellow and will provide a stipend to defray the costs of traveling to and from school as they report on their stories. In addition to the financial investment, Chevrolet will provide each fellowship team access to the Next Generation 2018 Chevrolet Equinox during their reporting assignments.

Legendary lyricist and hip hop pioneer MC Lyte will return as the program’s national spokesperson.  Information about the Discover the Unexpected Fellowship Program can be found at www.nnpa.org/dtu.