Chrysler Group Awards $5,000 in Prizes to Celebrate the 'Spirit in the Words' Poetry Program
05 Août 2005 - 10:27PM
PR Newswire (US)
* Journalists from around the nation compete at 11th annual poetry
program * ReShonda Tate Billingsley, NABJ, prevails as first-place
poetry winner * Chrysler Group donates $10,000 to National
Association of Black Journalists ATLANTA, Aug. 5
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A compilation of metaphors led to an
evening of fun and excitement as three journalists prevailed as the
winners of the "Spirit in the Words" poetry program. The poetry
program, held during the 30th Anniversary of the National
Association of Black Journalists' (NABJ) conference in Atlanta,
GA., celebrated the spoken word with 10 journalists from around the
nation. The winner, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, of KRIV-TV, Fox 26,
and a member of NABJ, took center stage along with other
journalists to compete for $5,000 in prizes. Billingsley's poem,
along with Renee Mitchell's, of the Portland Oregonian, and Andre
Williams', of The Morning Call, were the judges' favorites.
Mitchell and Williams, both members of NABJ, won second and third
place, respectively. "Chrysler Group congratulates our NABJ
partners on their 30th Anniversary as they celebrate the many years
of progress," said Frank Fountain, Vice President External Affairs
and Public Policy. "We believe the Spirit in the Words program is
an opportunity for all of us to tell a story about our passions and
to celebrate our culture." Actress Shari Headley, known for her
work in "Coming to America" and "The Johnson Family Vacation,"
served as master of ceremonies for the event, which she has done on
many other occasions. An independent panel of judges, including
Ralph Gilles, Chrysler Group director of truck exterior/interior
design -- previously the lead designer of the Chrysler 300C, Dodge
Magnum and Dodge Charger -- served as a judge along with four print
and broadcast journalists. The winning poets were selected based on
their theme, delivery, content and creativity. The "Spirit in the
Words" poetry program has been offered at diverse journalism
conferences throughout the U.S. which include UNITY, the National
Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of
Hispanic Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association
and the Native American Journalists Association. The poetry program
invites participants to write, read and perform their works, in an
effort to further the art of poetry. As an added feature to this
year's program, the Chrysler Group donated $10,000 to the NABJ
Scholarship Fund to further opportunities for future journalists.
DATASOURCE: Chrysler Group CONTACT: Angela Ford, +1-248-512-2986, ,
or Michele Tinson, +1-248-512-0366, , both of Chrysler Group Web
site: http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/
http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/
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