J-Stars Shine at NABJ Hall of Fame Awards

J-Stars (noun): TV, print or radio journalists who are so widely known and respected that they are celebrities in their own right.  

And boy did the "J-Stars" come out to shine as The National Association of Black Journalists inducted into its Hall of Fame five trailblazers and history makers in field of media. 

Anchorwoman Merri Dee, also known as "The Honeybee"

was honored for her 40-year career on air in Chicago. 

Markette and CNN's "Ol' Blue Eyes," Wolf Blitzer
of The Situation Room.

VIDEO: President Obama's top advisor Valerie
Jarrett reads letter from commander-in-chief.

Markette with MSNBC and The Today Show fill-in anchor
Tamron Hall, who served as mistress of ceremonies.

It was the Newseum's inaugural event honoring African-American journalists. 

VIDEO: WUSA 9's JC Hayward tells
DC on Heels that its the community that has 
 kept her on the air for more than 40 years.  

The inductees in the NABJ Hall of Fame included the late, legendary CBS newsman Ed Bradley, WUSA 9's JC Hayward (photographed above), The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson (photographed below), retired WGN anchor Merri Dee "The Honeybee" and KGO Newstalk's radio man Ray Taliaferro. Additionally, NPR's Walterene Swanston was honored with the Ida B. Wells Award for her work as a media executive to bring diversity to the newsroom.

Pulitzer prize-winning honoree Eugene Robinson's
writing has taken him everywhere from London to
Buenos Aires as a foreign editor.

NPR's Allison Keyes rocks a FAB beaded blazer, proving
that radio personalities can have both style & resonance. 

Setting the Stage: the Hall of Fame awards ceremony
at the start. 

Markette shares a laugh with C-Span's Robb Harlston
and CNN blogger Rebecca Stewart.

Team Merri Dee: WGN-TV's Mike D'Angelo,
Gloria Brown and Robert Jordan flew in from
Chicago to cheer on their colleague, Merri Dee.

Former NABJ President Brian Monroe.

Pretty in Pink: ABC Miami's Neki Mohan

Markette with Xavier Dominicis of
Rent-A-Center, an event co-sponsor.

The next big event for NABJ is its annual convention in Philadelphia from August 3-7. DC on Heels will see you there!

 xoxo,

Markette

Let's Connect!

    

Newsbabes, Buddah Bar, Celebrity Doppelganger

"NEWSBABES" BASH FOR BREAST CANCER:

Join Markette and I tonight at The Ritz Carlton in Georgetown, as we talk to all the "Newsbabes" including our fave babe Angie Goff, to show support for the Susan G. Komen For the Cure. This event helps to bring awareness in friends, colleagues, viewers, and family about the importance of early detection. Last year's bash raised over $4,000 for breast cancer research and awareness initiatives. Don't miss out. Let's do everything we can to fight this battle! Thanks to all of our favorite news babes for making this event possible, raising the funds, and spreading the word, oh and updating us on the traffic, weather, and news!

Last year's babes at the first annual bash

BUDDAH BAR IN WASHINGTON DC:

The trendy Asian-inspired, Paris based international restaurant/nightlife sensation is slated to open the second week of May in the Convention Center/Capitol Hill corridor (455 Mass Ave.) If its anything like the one if Paris (which I went last year and loved every second of it) then Washington, D.C. is in for a real treat! The culmination of the scene, the food, and the music will make it one of the most popular hot spots to hit up. For M and I it only means one thing--eating!! Can't wait to give you the review and try out all the food and check out the scene. Stay tuned.

CELEBRITY DOPPELGANGER:

This week our celeb look alike is Sara "Heff" Sepphard from Reston, Virginia. Sara the Persian beauty, came in at 90% with her #1 celeb-- Ameesha Patel ( I had to look up who that was) She is an actress who stars in Bollywood films. Other celebs Paz, Vega (loved her in Spanglish) and Alyssa Milano. Who knew? So what do you think? How did the race recognition technology do?

Signing off the blogosphere--Vanessa xoxoxo