We’re glad to report that we’ve awarded the first gifts from the Moore-Hodges fund, which honors and builds on the legacies of people of color whose presence, voices and work have helped make our historically predominantly white institution better – but not yet equally – reflect the community we serve.
Daily visual editor Trey Young is the Fall 2020 recipient and Daily news reporter Marien López Medina is the Spring 2021 recipient. Each will receive $500 to support their ongoing work at The Daily.
“Being able to work at the newspaper has given me opportunities to work with people and communities that I otherwise would never have interacted with, and I am devoted to using my work to highlight those issues. As a soldier in the Army Reserves, I have also worked with and alongside individuals from all walks of life, and I believe that every story should be heard,” wrote Trey, a junior from Kansas City, Kansas, in his application. “I also want to be a role model for kids that look like me. Growing up my superhero was my dad because there wasn’t a large representation of Black people in media, and now I still find it hard to name examples of successful Black people in the jobs that I want.”
“As a Latina, Spanish-speaker and foreign student majoring in journalism at OU, I recognize the struggles of being an international student on campus, which go beyond financial needs or homesickness,” wrote Marien, a sophomore from Managua, Nicaragua, in her application. “My education at OU is helping me to focus my work as a journalist on the political and civil rights education of Latin American societies – which are currently affected by corruption and media polarization – and to bring empathy among us for those marginalized communities daily suffering from violence throughout poverty, dictatorships, colonization and patriarchy.”
We hope you’ll help us celebrate the successes of Trey, Marien and other students like them. To learn more about, and to potentially support the Moore-Hodges fund, visit our Thousands Strong page.