Stephanie Claytor holds up her two awards presented on Nov. 13 at the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists’ Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Ceremony.
ALEXIA MCKAY/ FLORIDA COURIER
Stephanie Claytor, a writer for the Florida Courier, was one of the Tampa area journalists recognized on Thursday, Nov. 13 for outstanding coverage of Tampa Bay’s Black communities in 2024.
TBABJ’s Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Ceremony recognized broadcast, multimedia and print professionals. The event took place at Le Méridien Tampa.
Claytor, a multimedia journalist and author, took home awards presented by the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ) for best Print General News Reporting for her story about Tampa General Hospital’s program that helps more Black patients receive kidney transplants and best Print Feature Reporting for her story titled Tampa’s Chloe
Coney reflects on living a blessed life. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kevin Merida, who made history as the first Black executive editor of the Los Angeles Times and first Black managing editor of The Washington Post, was the keynote speaker.
During his speech, Merida told jour- nalists, “We have to fight for our profession. Hold it tight and never let it go. To the youth in the room, I say, ‘Don’t have small dreams. We’re in a big dream era. Remember those who paved the way for your opportunities.’ ”
Along with Claytor, the 2025 winners are:
TV General News Reporting: Linnie Supall, WFLA News Channel 8TV Feature Reporting: Virginia Johnson, Spectrum Bay News 9TV Investigative Reporting: Emerald Morrow, 10 Tampa Bay NewsBest Overall Photo: Joseph Brown III, WFLA News Channel 8Radio General News Reporting: Chris Young, WMNFRadio Feature Reporting: Chris Young, WMNFBest Podcast: Rooted in Progress, WFLA News Channel 8Best Feature Reporting: Ken Cherry, WEDU
Historian Fred Hearns, former State Senator Arthenia Joyner, Ariel Amirah Danley (who accepted the posthumous award for her mother, Gwendolyn Henderson), TBABJ President Saundra Weathers, businesswoman and community leader Gwendolyn Reese, and State Sen- ator Darryl Rouson pose at the Nov. 13 event.
JASON RICHARDS
Joyner and Rouson among special honorees
TBABJ also honored five trailblazers as griots – traditionally defined in West Africa as those who preserve history and culture through a variety of forms, including storytelling.
The honorees are:
Tampa City Councilwoman, Gwendolyn Henderson (post-humous)Fred Hearns, Curator of Black History, Tampa Bay History CenterGwendolyn Reese, Peaten Reese Peaton Consulting Inc.Former State Senator Arthenia JoynerState Senator Darryl Rouson TBABJ also awarded scholarships to three students with ties to the Tampa Bay area.
The scholarship recipients are:
Mikal Morris, Florida A&M University Jaide Edwards, University of Tampa Jasmine Oliphant, University of Florida
“TBABJ is powered by amazing volunteers and a generous community of partners,” said Saundra Weathers, TBABJ president. “Their power is brighter than ever, and we extend our deepest gratitude to the 2025 Griot Drum Awards sponsors: Coke Florida, Tampa Bay Rays, Duke Energy, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, Visit Tampa Bay, Suncoast Credit Union, Vistra Communications, Helios Education Foundation and Lorna Taylor Family Trust.
For more information about TBABJ and the Griot Drum Awards, visit https://tampabayabj.com.