Washington, DC – The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is mourning the death of Acel Moore, one of the organization’s 44 founders. Moore was also a founding member of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. He was 75.
The Philadelphia native served as an Army medic before becoming a copy clerk at the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1962. He went on to become the first black reporter at The Inquirer. He also worked as an investigative reporter, editorial board member and columnist at his hometown newspaper. He met Presidents Nixon, Carter and Clinton over the course of his career and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1977 for his investigation of inmates at Fairview State Hospital. He retired from the Inquirer in 2005 and held the title of associate editor emeritus at the time of his death.
“I’m heartbroken by the passing of my longtime mentor and friend Acel Moore. He was a counselor and impacted the careers of hundreds of NABJ members. Moore left us a wonderful legacy as a humanitarian, truth seeker, fighter for equal opportunity and trailblazer who opened doors for countless journalists, especially those of color,” said NABJ President Sarah Glover. “We will honor his memory by continuing the fight for diversity in all newsrooms now more than ever.”
An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, and provides career development as well as educational and other support to its members worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.nabj.org.
