STLPR wins Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists

St. Louis Public Radio received a Salute to Excellence Award for a News Series from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). "The Audacity to Not Give Up," a multi-part reporting series, provides an intimate profile of resilience in St. Louis' northside communities who are still recovering from the May 2025 tornado.

The station's last NABJ win was in 2023 for "Racial covenants, a relic of the past, are still on the books across the country," a collaborative report from STLPR and NPR. The national awards recognize exceptional journalism on issues of relevance to Black communities.

"The Audacity to Not Give Up" included reporting by STLPR Afternoon Newscaster and Reporter Marissanne Lewis-Thompson and Race, Identity and Culture Reporter Andrea Y. Henderson. The stories were vital components of the station's yearlong coverage of the tornado aftermath and recovery efforts.

"I'm incredibly honored and overjoyed that the stories of Black St. Louis tornado survivors were heard and acknowledged by the National Association of Black Journalists," Lewis-Thompson said. "Their stories serve as a reminder of why accountability journalism still matters."

The stories took shape over months of follow-up in Black neighborhoods that were devastated by the tornado and are largely still awaiting cleanup and relief. Watching the slow progress pushed Lewis-Thompson and Henderson to keep telling compelling stories that put the faces and names of affected residents front and center.

"Over the past year, I worked nonstop to tell the stories of families and business owners who lost everything," Henderson said. "As a Black journalist, I felt a great responsibility to share those tornado survival stories, while also holding institutions and people accountable for the city's slow recovery. It is the honor of a lifetime to be recognized by the National Association of Black Journalists, where I have proudly been a member for nearly 20 years."

Both journalists expressed how overjoyed they were to share this award as local Black journalists with similar journalistic values and a deep connection to the community.

"NABJ's Salute to Excellence Award means everything to me, because it shows that stories about Black communities are worth lifting up and celebrating," Henderson said.

"To share this award with my colleague Andrea Henderson is an honor of a lifetime, Lewis-Thompson said. "Much of her reporting helped shape how our newsroom covered this natural disaster and the systemic failures that followed."

Salute to Excellence: News Series winner: "The Audacity to Not Give Up"