Forbes magazine named 10 HBCU students and recent graduates to participate in the Forbes Fellowship Academy, a series of masterclasses and panel discussions, taught by Forbes reporters and editors, for the purpose of providing additional expertise and opportunities to write for Forbes.
The inaugural class of Forbes Fellows:
Whitney Bronson (Hampton University, Class of ’20, University of Georgia, Class of ’22), is currently a graduate student at the University of Georgia, studying Sports Management. She has obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Hampton University and completed the Rhoden Fellowship with ESPN’s The Undefeated during her senior year. Additionally, Whitney was an inaugural member of the Beats by Dre Black Future Program as a Sports Editorial Content Creator. Currently, as an intern for Fox Sports, Whitney writes articles for the digital and app team to be posted on foxsports.com.
Joshua Burrell (Morehouse College, Class of ’21), is a graduating senior Cinema, Television, and Emerging Media Studies major and Journalism minor from Maryland. During their freshman year, they were a Junior Fellow/ Intern in the Library of Congress’s Photographs and Prints division. They were the 2019 Features Editor and is the current Managing Editor of the Maroon Tiger. Joshua enjoys reporting on news, entertainment, art, culture, environmental justice, and finance.
Nathaniel Easington (Howard University, class of ’20) graduated from Howard University, where he was a sports and news reporter for The Hilltop. During his sophomore year, he studied in Accra, Ghana, where he worked for the second-largest publication in the country, The Ghanaian Times, writing political and sports stories. In July 2019, he was selected as a Rhoden Fellow for the 2019-2020 academic year, writing sports and culture articles for The Undefeated.
Kira Grant (Howard University, class of ’21), a senior at Howard University studying broadcast journalism and sports management, currently serves as the sports editor of student-run campus newspaper The Hilltop and 101 Magazine. In 2019, she served as an Olympic marketing strategist for the Judo Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She recently won a Salute to Excellence award from the National Association of Black Journalists for her undergraduate newspaper reporting, and her internships have included: Fox News, Fox Business, NBC Washington, NBC Sports Group and Pitch Publicity. She is also an Emma Bowen fellow. Kira enjoys reporting on news, sports, music, public affairs and finance.
Jair Hilburn (Morehouse College, class of ’20) graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s in international studies and a minor in journalism. During his time at Morehouse, he served as editor-in-chief of The Maroon Tiger for two consecutive years, as well as a member of the Morehouse College Glee Club and a member of Delta Phi Delta Dance Fraternity Incorporated, Rho Chapter.
Eric Johnson (Rust College, class of ’21), born in Columbus, Mississippi, and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri, Eric is a senior at Rust College, one of the oldest HBCUs in the U.S. He is a Forbes Under 30 Scholar (2019), The Rust Innovation Lab Organizer (2021) and the current Rust College Student Government Association President.
The Forbes Academy Students:
Jalen Brown, Morehouse College, class of ’22
Matthew Cooper, Morehouse College, class of ’22
Zachary Greene, Morehouse College, class of ’22
Ashley Tate, Clark College, class of ’22
