Events

2026 NABJ Region III Conference

April 16-18, 2026 | The Legacy Museum

400 N. Court St | Montgomery, AL

Theme: THE TIME IS NOW

Thanks to Our Partners and Sponsors:

Bayou Beats News

 

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Join us for the NABJ Region III Conference, April 16-18, 2025, in Montgomery, AL

A must-attend event for journalists and communicators! 

The NABJ Regional III Conference seeks to support and strengthen journalists skills and information to help them serve their communities in an evolving media environment, while also connecting them with their history in a tangible way. Get ready for a powerful experience in historic Montgomery. The Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Sites remind us of our history as we learn how to adapt and thrive in this evolving climate.

Registration 

Click Here to Register and See Registration Rates

Reserve your Hilton Home2Suites hotel room here: https://bit.ly/BookRegion3Hotel

Reserve your Elevation Convening Center and Hotel room here (Limited Rooms Available): https://bit.ly/ReserveRegion3hotel

Reserve your Residence Inn hotel room here: https://bit.ly/Region3Hotel

Region III Welcome Reception and Civil Rights Tour: Must have pre-registered

A special Welcome Reception and Civil Rights Tour has been added to the Region III Conference and it’s completely free for attendees.

Even if you’ve already registered for the conference, you can still sign up for this exclusive experience.

Join us on Friday, April 17 for a lively welcome reception, followed by a private Civil Rights tour on Saturday, April 18, led by renowned artist and historian Michelle Browder through the historic streets of Montgomery.

Schedule-at-a-Glance

Event Program Book: https://bit.ly/NABJRegion3ProgramBook

Schedule Subject to Change

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

3 – 6 PM – Legacy Hall

• Registration 

6 – 7:30 PM – Legacy Hall

• Town Hall – Life After The Voting Rights Act : With the U.S. Supreme Court considering another challenge to the Voting Rights Act, what happens if the court rules in a way that further diminishes the power of Black voters?
  • Conversation With A Living Witness:
    • Tammie Fields, Anchor, Spectrum News13 Orlando talks
    • Sheyann Webb-Christburg, Author, Voting Rights March Participant
  • Moderator: 
    • Errin Haines, NABJ President & Editor-At-Large, 19th News
  •  Panelists:
    • Tafeni English, Alabama State Director, Southern Poverty Law Center
    • Tia Mitchell, Washington Bureau Chief, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
    • Mary C. Curtis, Columnist, CQ Roll Call; Host, Equal Time Podcast
    • Todd A. Cox, Associate Director-Counsel NAACP Legal Defense Fund
    • Cameron Smith, Columnist
    • Tammie Fields, Anchor, Spectrum News13 Orlando

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  FRIDAY, APRIL 17

8:00 AM – 3:00 PM – Legacy Hall

• Registration 

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

• Tour of Legacy Museum

12:15 – 1:30 PM – Legacy Hall

• Lunch | Processing The Day After/The Days Ahead : In an era defined by breaking news, constant crisis, and relentless headlines, journalists are operating under unprecedented pressure. Guided by Shanti Das, former music executive and founder of Silence the Shame, this timely conversation centers the importance of protecting mental wellness while reporting in volatile and high-stakes environments.Panelists will engage in honest dialogue about stress, burnout, and trauma exposure, while sharing practical tools and coping strategies to help media professionals safeguard their well-being. This session offers actionable insight for sustaining both a meaningful career and a healthy life.
  • Panelist:
    • Dr. Wendi S. Williams, Ph.D.,  President, American Psychological Association
    • Shanti Das, Founder Silence The Shame

2 – 2:15 PM 

• Drive to Freedom Monument Sculpture Park

2:15 – 3:30 PM 

• Freedom Monument Sculpture Park

3:30 – 3:45 PM 

• Drive to The National Memorial for Peace and Justice

3:45 – 5 PM

• The National Memorial for Peace and Justice

5 – 5:45 PM

• Montgomery Square: The Decade that Changed the World (1955-1965) (5-minute walk from the Memorial)

5:45 – 6 PM

• Walk to the Peace and Justice Memorial Center (5-minute walk from Montgomery Square)

6 – 7 PM 

• The Peace and Justice Memorial Center:  A talk from Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative

7:30 – 10:30 PM 

• Southern Style Welcome Reception | Powered by The Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF): AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) welcome you to Montgomery with a special reception at a local juke joint. The reception will include free food & drinks, soulful music and a little bit of swing!
  • • Note: Transportation will be provided

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SATURDAY, APRIL 18

8 – 9:15 AM – Mountaintop Ballroom, Elevation Convening Center (Free shuttle service from Museum to Convening Center)

• Breakfast | From Reflection to Momentum: Financial Confidence for Your Next Step Forward | Powered by Regions Bank : Regions Bank will host a breakfast panel focused on translating insight into informed financial action. This session will offer practical tools, expert coaching, and access to community resources designed to help students, early-career professionals, freelancers, and working journalists strengthen financial confidence and chart their next step forward.Panelists will address topics such as budgeting for early-career roles and internships, managing layoffs and career transitions, preparing for freelance or variable income, building long-term financial security, and leveraging local bankers and community partners to support economic mobility.
  • Moderator: 
    • Valorie Lawson, Anchor, WSFA 12 News
  •  Panelists:
    • Cecilia Bailey, Vice President and Financial Education Manager, Regions Bank
    • Jonathan August, Vice President, Consumer Banking Retail Market Visit Coach, Regions Bank  
    • Bob Dickerson, Executive Director, Birmingham Business Resource Center
    • Veleka Finch, Vice President Corporate Communications, Regions Bank 

9:15 – 10:30 AM – RISE BALLROOM

• Chapter Day – Best Practices: Does your market have a lot of journalists who could/should be members, but only a committed few who do most of the work? How to invigorate and grow your chapter to make it one that thrives, not just survives.
  • Moderator:
    • Nakia Cooper, President, Houston Association of Black Journalists
  • Panelists:
    • Greg Morrison, NABJ Past Treasurer and Executive Producer of Griotworks LLC & NABJ Past Treasurer
    • Audrey Tannenbaum, Staff Attorney, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

9:15 – 10:30 AM – MOUNTAINTOP BALLROOM

• Investigative Reporting: Mining Data to Inform Your Audience:
  • Moderator:
    • Chanel Davis, Editor in Chief, YES! Weekly
  • Panelists:
    • Emerald Morrow, Investigative Reporter, WTSP-CBS 
    • Levi Ismail, Reporter, WTVF-Newschannel 5 
    • Nicole Carr, Visiting Assistant Professor, Morehouse College

10:45 – 12:00 PM – RISE BALLROOM

• The Road Ahead – What’s Next For Journalism? : How will your job description and your workflow change in the next five years? How should students career-plan for an industry undergoing so much change and disruption?
  • Moderator:
    • Tammie Fields, Anchor, Spectrum News13 Orlando
  • Panelists:
    • James Finch, Vice President News Services, Gray Media
    • Steven Gaither, Founder, HBCU Gameday
    • Michael Harriot, Founder, ContrabandCamp.com

10:45 – 12:00 PM – MOUNTAINTOP BALLROOM

• Newsroom Leadership : How do the best leaders steer their teams through turbulence and what lessons can you apply in your newsroom today?
  • Moderator:
    • Sherrel Stewart, Former Birmingham News Editor, Former WBHM Reporter
  • Panelists:
    • Darryll Green, former General Manager, CBS Miami
    • Valerie Russell-Clausell, Vice President and General Manager, WTVY-TV, WRGX-TV
    • Javacia Harris Bowser, Interim Editor, Birmingham Times

12:00 – 1:30 PM – LEGACY HALL

• Lunch | Press Freedom – How To Fight A Shutdown : What happened when the University of Alabama shut down two student newspapers? Hear how some alums responded and the potential lessons for you.
  • Moderator:
    • Tammie Fields, Anchor, Spectrum News13 Orlando
  • Panelists:
    • Victor Luckerson, Author & President, MASTHEAD 
    • Kendal Wright, Editor-in-Chief, Nineteen Fifty-Six
    • Rachael Johnson, Senior Staff Attorney, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

2 – 4 PM

• Explore the Civil Rights History of Montgomery: Join renowned artist/historian, Michelle Browder, for a private tour of one of the nation’s most prolific civil rights cities.  Attendees will be picked up at Elevation and guided throughout the historic streets of Montgomery, stopping and exploring key sites in the American civil rights story. (Note: Limited seats. Pre-registration required.). The tour is complimentary through the support of the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) and powered by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).

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