2022 TBABJ GRIOT DRUM SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM – APPLY TODAY!

SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY 11:59 P.M. EST ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ) is now accepting submissions for its annual Griot Drum scholarship contest. The program awards scholarships to students of color interested in or currently pursuing a college degree in journalism or a communications-related discipline.

To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Identify as a person of color
• Currently enrolled in college (undergraduate or graduate), or a graduating high school senior
• Have a connection to Tampa Bay, i.e. attended school or once resided in Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Polk, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, or Sarasota counties
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident

Candidates must provide all of the following supporting documents via email after submitting an application:

• High school or college transcripts
• Work samples (published, broadcasted, or school assignments)
• One letter of recommendation that speaks to character. This may be from a school instructor, employer, internship supervisor, pastor, etc.
• Optional: resume

Candidates must provide all of the following supporting documents via email after submitting an application:

• High school or college transcripts
• Work samples (published, broadcasted, or school assignments)
• One letter of recommendation that speaks to character. This may be from a school instructor, employer, internship supervisor, pastor, etc.
• Optional: resume

Documents supporting scholarship applications should be emailed to tampabayabj@gmail.com by the application deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Winners will be announced during the Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Ceremony at The Upper Room Event Space at 200 E Madison St, Tampa, FL 33602, on Thursday, Nov. 17.

For assistance, contact chapter president Alexia McKay at tampabayabj@gmail.com.

Originally founded as the Suncoast Black Communicators, the group became the Tampa Bay area’s affiliate of the National Association of Black Journalists in 1990. Now, the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ) represents journalists of color in the counties of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota along the west coast of Florida. The chapter’s purpose is to bring together people of African descent who work in media or media-related jobs in the Tampa Bay area. To learn more, visit www.tbabj.com.

GRIOT DRUM SCHOLARSHIP Application