Meet SPJ President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins

Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, who was sworn in as the 107th president of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2023, became the first Black woman to become SPJ national president in its 114-year history.

Join ETSPJ for a lunchtime discussion with Blaize-Hopkins hosted by WATE anchor Tearsa Smith, an award-winning journalist for the ABC affiliate in Knoxville.

The event is part of the local chapter’s efforts to increase representation both in the composition of the board and programs, and this event is connected to Black History Month. Smith is a recent ETSPJ board member.

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 15, 12-1 p.m. Eastern
WHERE: Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89654608687.

Blaize-Hopkins is a journalism professor at Santa Monica College, where she also is the faculty advisor of the institution’s award-winning student-run newspaper, The Corsair. She also serves as an equity coach, assisting faculty in equitizing curriculum and closing equity gaps among students of color.

She was a television news anchor and reporter for 11 years, working for stations in El Paso, Texas; Las Vegas; and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

Before her career in higher education, which included stints at Richland College, Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Blaize-Hopkins ran a successful public relations/marketing firm and video production company.

The event is open to the public and will be livestreamed on ETSPJ’s Facebook page.