Ellis to keynote NAACP dinner

Created on Wednesday, 14 April 2010 10:10 Last Updated on Monday, 03 December 2012 19:20 Published on Wednesday, 14 April 2010 10:10 Written by Courier Newsroom Hits: 3271

The 56th NAACP Annual Human Rights Dinner will be held May 6 at 6 p.m. in the Omni William Penn. Guest speaker will be Rehema Ellis, NBC News correspondent.

Ellis joined NBC News as a general-assignment correspondent, based in New York, in December 1993. Ellis had been a news anchor at WHDH-TV in Boston, working on weekend newscasts and “Urban Update,” WHDH-TV’s weekly half hour news broadcast, since 1990.

While in Boston, Ellis provided live coverage of the Pope’s visit to Denver and anchored a half-hour special for WHDH on the Pope’s visit. She also reported on Coretta Scott King’s 1993 fight to bring the Martin Luther King Jr. papers from Boston University to the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta, Ga. In 1991, she followed Nelson Mandela from New York to Boston on his historic visit to the United States.

Ellis is the recipient of numerous awards for her reporting, including a 1989 Emmy for her report on life in the inner city for WHDH. Her work has also garnered several AFTRA and Matrix awards, as well as multiple awards from the National Association of Black Journalists.

While at WHDH, Ellis also served as political reporter, covering the 1988 Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the 1988 presidential and gubernatorial elections and the 1988 and 1990 congressional elections. Prior to that, Ellis was a general assignment reporter at WHDH from 1985 to 1988.

Ellis also worked as a morning anchor and reporter for KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh from 1980 to 1985. Before that she worked as an anchor and reporter for KDKA Radio, Pittsburgh. Ellis has also worked at WINS News Radio in New York City from 1977 to 1978.

Ellis began her broadcasting career at WJIB-FM, Boston, where she was a producer, writer and host of a weekly, hour-long talk show from 1973 to 1974.

Ellis received a B.A. from Simmons College, Boston and an M.A. from the Columbia School of Journalism. Ellis also served as a volunteer high school teacher in Tanzania, East Africa, through the Harvard University Africa Volunteer Project.

The NAACP is seeking nominations for the 2010 Homer S. Brown award, which will be given on May 6 at the organization's Human Rights Dinner.

The Judge Homer S. Brown Award is presented annually at the NAACP Human Rights Dinner to an outstanding recipient who has positively impacted our community by demonstrating that he/she has been a constant force in the struggle for humanity, equality, and shared resources, as well as for equal access to recreation in the community, whether aimed at youth or adults. This year’s recipient will be honored for their work in the television media. Nominators and recipients must be members of the NAACP.  If you would like to nominate a media professional, please complete the information below.

Name of Nominator:

Name of Nominee:

TV Station Affiliation:

Reasons why you believe they should receive the Award:

Please provide your contact information:

Please provide the contact information of the nominee.

You may deliver the ballot to the NAACP Office mail slot located at 2203 Wylie Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA  15219, or fax your recommendations to the NAACP Office at 412-471-1313. The deadline for submission is April 20, 2010. For more information, call 412-471-1024.