WASHINGTON (Oct. 23, 2019) — The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) applauds the U.S. Postal Service for memorializing the life and legacy of NABJ member and Hall of Famer Gwen Ifill.
Ifill, who passed in November 2016, will be featured on the 43rd stamp in the USPS Black Heritage Series, which will be a commemorative “forever” stamp. It will be issued in 2020. In announcing the stamp, the USPS said Ifill was “a trailblazer.”
Serving as a longtime co-anchor of PBS’ NewsHour and moderator and managing editor of “Washington Week with Gwen Ifill,” Ifill was an important voice for not only the Black community but for all of America, covering eight presidential campaigns.
She was the first African American woman to host a prominent political talk show on national television.
“Gwen Ifill’s contributions to journalism touched not only our members but impacted citizens across the country,” said NABJ President Dorothy Tucker. “We are grateful that the USPS is recognizing her influence and has chosen to celebrate her in such a beautiful way. Her remarkable career and her strong spirit will forever live in our hearts and will inspire generations to come.”
Ifill joined PBS in 1999, reporting on politics for NewsHour and moderating Washington Week. In 2013, she was named co-anchor of PBS’ flagship evening news program along with Judy Woodruff.
She was one of the most successful journalists to make the transition from print to television, including prominent reporting roles at The Washington Post, New York Times and NBC News.
Ifill was inducted into the NABJ Hall of Fame in 2012.