*Several print and TV journalists are celebrating the life of legendary journalist Gwen Ifill by writing letters of gratitude about how the “PBS NewsHour anchor blazed a trail for them to follow.
Yamiche Alcindor of the New York Times, Hannah Allam of McClatchy, Kat Chow of National Public Radio, Krissah Thompson of the Washington Post, as well as Nia-Malika Henderson and Tanzina Vega of CNN join the NewsHour’s Kenya Downs, Pamela Kirkland and Jasmine Wright to honor Ifill, a woman whose own successful career inspired a generation of women of color to pursue journalism.
“Dear Gwen,” writes Henderson, “You inspire me like no one else. I look to you as an example and literally looked to you when I was a Baltimore Sun reporter many years ago. I had a little picture of you that I taped to my computer. I’d gotten it off the internet because I so admired the path that you took.”
Alcindor writes: “Thank you for telling me to know my name. The first time I met you, I said my name was Yamiche but that you could call me ‘Miche.’ And you said, ‘Do you really want to be called “Miche?” Don’t let people give you nicknames.’ That stuck with me, because I think as I get older and as I look at all the breadth of your work, I think of knowing myself and knowing my name and owning who I am. It was so important that you told me that.”
Ifill, who also moderated several election debates, lost her battle with cancer on November 14 in Washington D.C. She was 61.
Read all of the letters here, and watch the accompanying video tribute below:
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