CHAPEL HILL, N.C. _ Rochelle Riley will be inducted into the N.C. Media and Journalism Hall of Fame on Friday, April 12, 2019. Since 1981, the hall has bestowed the honor on nearly 200 professionals who have demonstrated: leadership in their spheres of influence; service to their professions and society; performance exemplifying the highest professional standards; an commitment to inspiring and advancing young people in media and journalism careers. Rochelle was honored, additionally, for being “a crusader for justice in the best journalistic tradition. She will be inducted alongside Pulitzer-Prize winning author and historian Taylor Branch. Other inductees are: Margaret Johnson, chief creative officer at Goodby, Silverstein and Partners; Mary Junck, executive chairman of Lee Enterprises; and David Woronoff, publisher of The Pilot, Business North Carolina. For more information, visit the Hall of Fame.
DETROIT (October 30, 2018) _ For the ninth year in a row, readers of Hour magazine have named Rochelle Riley as Best Local Female Columnist. The annual contest, which features reader favorites in categories ranging from food to shopping, bestows the awards that look like magazine covers, each fall. Rochelle, who has written a column for the Detroit Free Press since 2000, has won numerous other awards and was a 2016 an inductee into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. She is currently at work on her second book. She is on tour with her first, “The Burden: African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery” (Wayne State University Press).
Rochelle will receive the Service in Media Award from Voices for National Service on Tuesday, February 12 at its annual gala in Washington, D.C. She is being recognized for using journalism to raise awareness of and encourage Americans’ participation in national service. Previous award recipients include: Judy Woodruff, David Brooks, E.J. Dionne, Jonathan Alter and Ron Fournier. Voices for National Service is a diverse coalition of national and local service programs, state service commissions and individual champions committed to expanding opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve their communities. For more information, visit Voices.
TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan (October 22, 2018) _ Rochelle hosted “An Evening with Alice Walker” as part of the National Writers Series at the City Opera House in Traverse City. As the first African American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize, Alice Walker has written works of the utmost cultural importance. Her novel,The Color Purple, was made into an Academy Award-nominated film and a Broadway musical. Ms. Walker talked about her life and latest book, Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart, a stunning, bi-lingual poetry collection.
NASHVILLE (October 13, 2018) Rochelle was chosen to present “The Burden” at the 30th Annual Southern Festival of Books at the Nashville Public Library. The day-long event featuring panel discussions, author signings and readings is one of the best in the country. On her panel, Rochelle was joined by Kiese Laymon, who talked about his memoir, “Heavy” – a highly praised revelation. You can watch the discussion here.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI (October 5, 2018) _ Rochelle Riley was the keynote speaker at the Northern Oakland County NAACP’s 98th Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner and Awards Program at the St. George Cultural Center in Bloomfield Hills.
TROY, MI (September 27, 2018)_ Detroit Free Press columnist Rochelle Riley received the Wonder Woman Award from the Women Officials Network Foundation on September 27 at the San Marino Club. She was honored for her commitment to community, quality of journalism and work on behalf of children.
BALTIMORE (September 20, 2018) _ Detroit Free Press columnist Rochelle Riley was honored as finalist for the 2018 Vernon Jarrett Medal for Journalistic Excellence for her work encouraging the city of Detroit to find a way to celebrate the memory of legendary boxer Joe Louis. When the Joe Louis Arena is torn down on the river, his name will be visible all around the city on the Joe Louis Greenway.