A distinguished journalist and educator, Shari Okeke has 25 years of television, radio, and online experience with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). As a radio journalist, she developed the “Mic Drop” podcast, in which young people shared their stories in their own words. That work earned her a Peabody Award nomination.

She recently completed her second year as an assistant professor at the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in a tenure-track position where she teaches courses like Introduction to Journalism and Advanced Podcasting and Radio Documentary.

And yet, she has felt the loneliness of being the only Black journalist in the room. At this year’s NABJ convention, however, she felt differently, saying,

“Hearing others describe being the only person at their news station, at the table during story meetings, which can lead to a profound sense of loneliness, was reassuring. I’ve felt this, not just because I need friends at work, but also because I might be the only one who understands the significance of a story, which can be quite draining.”

Of her first impressions of attending NABJ: “It’s huge. I’ve never in my life been in a room filled with so many journalists. Never mind so many Black journalists. There’s something exciting about learning about everyone’s different experiences at once. A lot of us have very similar experiences. It was either fascinating to hear or comforting.”

Okeke cited networking, learning from peers and industry professionals, and the power of storytelling as key takeaways. She said the discussions at one of the panels delved into the challenges faced by Black journalists in major news organizations and the importance of connecting and collaborating with other Black journalists to continue doing their work effectively.

She found the session on “Centering HIV in the Black Community as a Social Justice Issue of Today” to be full of resources. At the session, a panellist shared her story of living with HIV since 1995 and the inadequate Black representation in HIV coverage in the United States.

Another session that stood out for Okeke was a discussion on a book on pitching and its importance in journalism, which she plans to incorporate into her teaching at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Elated, she expressed gratitude to the Shadd Cary Centre for Journalism and Belonging for giving her this incredible experience of a lifetime, adding, “I want to be here again. I can see how valuable it is to share ideas, learn about approaches used in other parts of North America, and connect with so many other Black journalists. It’s really powerful.”