Hilton Hosts and Celebrates Achievements of Washington Association of Black Journalists

The WABJ and local businesses converged at the Washington Hilton National Mall

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Dec 10, 2019, 08:00 ET

MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, December 8^th, Hilton hosted the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) Holiday Party and Scholarship Benefit at the Washington Hilton National Mall to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African American journalists, media and communicators.

During the evening, National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Founding Member and former New York Times editor, Paul Delaney, was honored with the WABJ Legacy Award for his exemplary career in journalism which has spanned more than 50 years, and which set a new standard of excellence in the field.

Athelia Knight, award-winning journalist and Adjunct Lecturer at Georgetown University's Journalism Program, was honored with the WABJ Building the Next Generation Award for her work training and mentoring students and young professionals interested in the field of journalism.

"We at Hilton truly believe in our founder, Conrad Hilton's, mission to spread the light and warmth of hospitality around the world, and that is why we are always striving to be the best community partner that we can be," said Andréa Richardson, Head of Multicultural Engagement at Hilton. "It is in this same spirit that we were honored to play the true part of a community partner and host WABJ, celebrating its members and their invaluable contributions and achievements in the field."

"WABJ is thrilled to receive the support and hospitality of Hilton, and we look forward to continued partnership in the many years to come," said Donna Walker, President of Washington Association of Black Journalists.

Demonstrating further community support, the evening's dining options were sourced from local businesses such as Ivy City Smokehouse and FireFly Farms. Hilton also applied its sustainability practices by banning plasticware from the event, donating leftover meals to local shelters and composting any food that could not be rescued or donated.

True to its Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals, Hilton is committed to cutting its environmental footprint in half and doubling its investment in social impact, as well as doubling its sourcing spend from local, small and medium-sized enterprises and minority owned suppliers.

"It was a joy to witness so many community partners coming together in order to commemorate the exceptional work WABJ members execute day in and day out," added Richardson. "It was a very special evening for all involved."

Proceeds from the evening will benefit the WABJ Urban Journalism Workshop and Scholarship Fund.

About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 17 world-class brands comprising more than 5,600 properties with nearly 913,000 rooms, in 113 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its mission to be the world's most hospitable company, Hilton earned a spot on the 2018 world's best workplaces list and has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its nearly 100-year history. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program, Hilton Honors, nearly 85 million members who book directly with Hilton have access to instant benefits, including digital check-in with room selection, Digital Key, and Connected Room. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ)
The Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) is the District's local chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) that was founded in 1975. WABJ provides members with ongoing professional education opportunities and advocates for greater diversity within journalism. The organization is for African American journalists, journalism professors, public relations professionals and student journalists in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

SOURCE Hilton