April Ryan has been getting a lot of attention recently for her journalism and it seems it’s not gone unnoticed with The National Association of Black Journalists naming her its Journalist of the Year.

Since ’97 Ryan has covered urban issues from the White House, in fact she is the only black female reporter to do so for American Urban Radio Networks.

ABJ President Sarah Glover said:

“April Ryan is a true trailblazer and truth seeker. She’s dogged and unapologetic about her pursuit of the story,

“In the White House press corps circle, where too few black women have been given an opportunity to report, April has excelled and persevered in spite of the many obstacles she has confronted. Her work has risen to the top.”

Ryan spoke of the honor saying:

“It is wonderful to be honored by such an esteemed organization,

“I am humbled and honored. So many of these [NABJ] journalists do important work and I am so thankful they would think of me for this honor. It has been an amazing couple of months and you guys give me some wind to say ‘keep going.’

“We all have a job to do and some of the stories we are doing wouldn’t be told if it weren’t for us,

“We all need to keep pressing because the First Amendment is under attack.”

HUGE congratulations April! Keep up the amazing work!