JOSEPH WILLIAMS
Head of Content
A veteran journalist, political analyst, and essayist, Joseph Williams has been published in a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, and US News & World Report. A California native, Williams is a graduate of the University Of Richmond and a former Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. He lives and works in metro Washington, D.C.
DOROTHY BOULWARE
Religion & Social Justice Reporter
Rev. Dorothy Boulware is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience with the Black press, specifically with the AFRO American News. She is the Religion and Social Justice reporter for Word In Black and is happy to highlight how religious communities create and drive social justice movements.
ALVIN BUYINZA
Education Reporter
Alvin Buyinza is an award-winning journalist based in Greater Boston who covers K-12 education for Word In Black. Before coming to this role, he wrote for a variety of news publications, including MassLive, Politico, The Washington Post, and The Conversation U.S. His work has also been featured on Boston NPR. He holds a master’s degree in communications from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
JENNIFER PORTER GORE
Health Reporter
Jennifer Porter Gore’s writing has been published in The Washington Post, The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. She is a Connecticut native who lives and works in the Washington, D.C., area.
SHERNAY WILLIAMS
Events Manager
Shernay Williams is an award-winning reporter and video producer with 15 years of experience in cross-platform journalism and content strategy. The Baltimore native is proud to have launched her journalism career at The AFRO Newspaper before transitioning to local TV news, where she covered a wide range of topics, including mayoral races, education, and the heroin epidemic. During a break from journalism, she ran a content strategy firm, served as an entrepreneurship coach, and launched a national directory and resources platform for Black mompreneurs.
Her mix of video and written work has also appeared in TheGrio, MarketWatch, Barron’s, Fast Company, Kiplinger, Inc., Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Comcast Newsmakers National Edition, and various local news outlets. Shernay serves on the leadership team of The Institute for Independent Journalists and chairs the National Association of Black Journalists’ Entrepreneurship Task Force.
CHRISTA MAHLOBO
Insights and Research Director
Dr. Christa Mahlobo is a research scientist, consultant, and lecturer with more than eight years of experience exploring the psychological needs and behaviors of Black Americans through both qualitative and quantitative methods. Her expertise lies in the end-to-end execution of large scale, national research projects spanning multiple fields — including travel and tourism, arts and culture, and wellness in Black communities. Dr. Mahlobo earned her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, where her research focused on adolescent development and flourishing in Black Americans. She recently completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and is a lecturer at Penn, teaching a course on flourishing in diverse communities.
KYLE RICKHOFF
Data Analyst
Kyle Rickhoff has more than 20 years of experience in local news, audience analytics, and digital transformation. He previously led audience analytics at Lee Enterprises and founded AlignSimple, a strategy firm for newsrooms and broadcasters. Rickhoff specializes in helping media organizations translate data into measurable editorial and business outcomes. He holds an MBA from the University of Montana and is committed to strengthening journalism that serves local communities.