$25,000 Gift Secures Future FAMU Journalists: Alumna Launches Scholarship at Portrait Unveiling

Cheryl Smith, a celebrated journalist, publisher and mentor, was honored on October 17 as the first Black press representative to be inducted into the Thelma Thurston Gorham Distinguished Wall of Fame at the Florida A&M University (FAMU) School of Journalism and Graphic Communication.

The tribute was immediately followed by Smith’s commitment to the next generation: a $25,000 donation to establish a new scholarship fund.

The Cheryl Smith’s Soldiers Without Swords Scholarship is scheduled for award the first recipient in the fall of 2026, 50 years after Smith first stepped foot on campus.

Elevating the Black Press and FAMU Legacy

During the 90-minute ceremony, Dean Mira Lowe praised Smith’s impact.

“Adding Cheryl Smith’s portrait … is a powerful testament to her unwavering commitment to truth, equality and excellence in journalism,” Lowe said, noting that Smith’s work “embodies the spirit and vision” of the school’s founder, Dr. Thelma Thurston Gorham.

Smith recalled her decision to fund a scholarship as soon as she heard about the honor. She presented a $25,000 check to Lowe, emphasizing that alumni support is essential to the institution. “I love FAMU,” Smith said. “And this is not the end,” she said, adding that the university is included in her will.

The money was raised with the help of a group of ‘champions’, including family members, student associations, students and professional colleagues.

A career rooted in mentorship

Smith’s induction recognized not only her achievements as a National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Famer and a key figure in the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), but also her decades of commitment to mentoring young reporters.

Marlon Walker, editor-in-chief at the Marshall Project, praised Smith for “ensuring our community is well served and well informed.”

Royle King, a FAMU graduate and Tallahassee city official, called Smith’s mentorship through the North Texas Urban Journalism Workshop “a seed of excellence in me.”

King showed his gratitude by presenting an initial annual donation of $1,000 to Smith’s new scholarship fund.

Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president/CEO of the NNPA, called the portrait’s unveiling a “historic moment” and called Smith a “great publisher and a great freedom fighter.” At the same time, Karen Carter Richards, head of the NNPA Fund, praised Smith’s “principled guidance of hundreds of young people.”

Smith vowed to continue her mission, citing her own mentors, including the late Congressman Eddie Bernice Johnson and activist Dick Gregory.

“We must work to help each other and make the world a better place,” she concluded.

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