(ASS)OCIATION — It’s Right There in the Title-- THE 2026 NABJ CONVENTION

The 2026 National Association of Black Journalists Convention, right? I hear it's a big shindiggy-doo-dah-bop.

This year's convention was interesting because at this year's convention, they handed out not one, not two, but five thumbs down awards.

Listen, that, from what I understand, is the most in the organization's history.

Among the recipients, you know, people like corporations, I guess, media corporations like CBS News.

All right.

They received a thumbs down award.

The Washington Post, they received a. the thumbs down award the chairman of the FCC chairman Brendan Carr received the thumbs down award and media executive DeJuan McCoy I'm assuming but you know you know the one you know the one that got everybody up in the tizzy man everybody talking about it is that they handed out one to your boy Stephen A. Smizzy and listen when I tell you Stephen A. was not amused in the slightest about this award he called it a hit job people he accused the NABJ of following politics and personal disagreements to influence the decision regarding him receiving this award and But the leadership at the NABJ said the opposite.

They said this wasn't about whether we like Stephen A. Smith.

It was about accountability and conduct.

They believe conflicts with their mission.

Right.

So here's what the questions I'm going to try to tackle.

One, when an association publicly condemns one of the people it was created to represent, is that mission or to Stephen's point, is it politics? More importantly, when does a decision like that? What does a decision like that do to membership? Fundraising, corporate relations, reputation, and trust.

Because nonprofit organizations don't get to make controversial decisions in a vacuum.

There's always receipts, people.

Sometimes the receipts comes in dollars.

Sometimes in membership, reputation, credibility.

But we're going to get into it.