WS Chronicle

Sandra Daye Hughes, a pioneering journalist and community advocate, will receive the 2013 Brotherhood/Sisterhood Citation Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice of the Piedmont Triad on Thursday, Nov. 7.

“We are thrilled to present Sandra Hughes with our 2013 Citation Award,” says NCCJ Executive Director Susan Feit. “Most people know of Sandra for her groundbreaking work as an African-American woman in broadcasting. But people don’t know the price she paid. She risked her life to break barriers.”

Hughes’ career at WFMY News 2 spanned 40 years, beginning in 1972 as a general assignment reporter and including many firsts as a woman of color hosting local and regional shows. From 1985-1990, Hughes served as WFMY’s community affairs manager, representing the station at local events while also serving as co-host of the local “Good Morning Show.” She returned to the newsroom in 1990 to anchor the evening news. After retiring from the station, Hughes moved to her alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University, where she is teaching the next generation of journalists.

As a motivational speaker who is often invited to speak to youth and women, she brings the same message to both audiences: “You can do and be anything you choose, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You just can’t give up,” she says. “It doesn’t matter where you come from – I grew up in a housing project – or what color your skin is. You have the right to do whatever you dream of doing.”

The National Conference for Community and Justice of the Piedmont Triad is a human relations organization that builds compassionate and just communities free of bias, bigotry and racism by facilitating honest and authentic communication among people of diverse backgrounds.

For tickets and/or other information, contact Alison Jones at ajones@nccjtriad.org or go to http://www.nccjtriad.org.