FAMU SJGC Celebrates “40 Years Leading the Way” During Grads Are Back

As Florida A&M University hosts homecoming festivities, the FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC) returns with its annual hallmark event, “Grads are Back” to celebrate its 40th anniversary. This year’s all-day celebration, “40 Years Leading the Way,”  will be held 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, October 27. 

The full-day lineup includes a career fair, keynote speakers, panel discussions, and opportunities for students to engage directly with alumni and other media industry professionals. The Grads are Back “Colloquium: “From the Bottom Up!” will recognize members from SJGC’s first graduating class.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and other SJGC alumni show off shirts celebrating the program’s founding.

Feature speakers include: Kimberly Godwin Manning, SJGC Board of Visitors chair and president of ABC News; Brian Rice, senior vice president, Global Chief Brand and Design Officer, 3M Company, and SJGC Board of Visitors member; SJGC Dean Mira Lowe; Television/radio personality and author Rashan Ali; Rod Carter, evening anchor, WNCN, Raleigh, North Carolina, and SJGC Board of Visitors member; A’sia Horne, assistant editor, The Woman King; and more. 

“Grads are Back is an excellent time for SJGC students to have an hands-on opportunity to connect with talented alumni who are excelling in all facets of the media industry,” said Dean Lowe. “It’s an opportunity for them to grow and learn from someone who used to sit in the same classroom as they did.” 

The festivities will continue into the evening with a 40th anniversary reception at 6 p.m. at the Meek-Eaton Black Archives and Museum, where SJGC’s legacy as the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) journalism program to receive accreditation in 1982 will be honored. 

Tickets for the reception can be purchased here. SJGC will also resume the bestowing of the Thelma Thurston Gorham Distinguished Alumni Award as part of the celebration to four alumni spanning four decades. This award salutes outstanding alumni for their professional and personal accomplishments, community contributions and support of SJGC.