There are some who are written about for Women’s History Month, but after they die. Let me give flowers to correspondent April Ryan while she still lives!
It was my pleasure to host April on “The Lyndia Grant Show,” my radio show on Spirit 1340 WYCB, a Radio One station. She was promoting her then-new book “Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem” (2022). I thought, “Woo!!!” It felt like I had known her all of my life — such a gentle and kind woman, yet equipped with what it takes to be tough and get the job done as a White House correspondent for more than 25 years!
That’s not all: The D.C. Democratic Women’s Club’s program committee has confirmed April Ryan to serve as our guest speaker for our Women’s History Month program, where the immediate past president, Jeannette Mobley, and I are serving as committee co-chairs, under the leadership of our new president, Valca Valentine (daughter of the late baseball great Fred Valentine). Visit the D.C. Democratic Women’s website for the link to this event.
DCDWC’s event will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. You are all invited!
Let me give you some background on Ryan as her tribute for Women’s History Month. She has a unique vantage point as the only Black female reporter covering urban issues from the White House, a position she has held since the Clinton era. She has a tough job, but she does it so well. She can be seen on CNN as a political analyst and is also the D.C. bureau chief on TheGrio. She has been featured in Essence, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Elle magazines, to name a few.
April Ryan also has served on the board of the prestigious White House Correspondents’ Association, one of only three African Americans in the association’s 100-plus-year history to do so. She is also an esteemed member of the National Press Club.
Ryan is also the author of the award-winning book “The Presidency in Black and White: My Up-Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America” (2015) and “At Mama’s Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White” (2016), the latter of which she looks at race relations through the lessons and wisdom that mothers have given their children.
Why do we celebrate April Ryan? As the longest-serving Black female White House correspondent, she has covered numerous historical events throughout five presidential administrations over the past 25 years, always asking relevant and pertinent questions on behalf of an underserved urban community.
Even after former President Donald Trump repeatedly called her out by her name and told her to “sit down” in an attempt to silence her during a press conference — which resulted in her receiving death threats — she pressed Trump on his alleged collusion with Russia, whether he were racist, and if he planned to resign.
She questioned Bill Clinton on his impeachment and George W. Bush on Katrina. She has asked Barack Obama the tough questions about race in America, and Joe Biden about his promises for change.
On behalf of TheGrio, she delivers her readership and listeners (millions of African Americans and close to 300 radio affiliates) news that “amplifies Black culture.”
Ryan, also a speaker and mother, is a graduate of Morgan State University, an HBCU, and member of Delta Sigma Theta. Her hometown is Baltimore.
The National Association of Black Journalists named her as the Journalist of the Year in 2017.
April Ryan has been one of the most controversial reporters in the White House Press Corps speaks up for marginalized voices in urban communities. For this, a few years ago, she received a standing ovation at the White House Correspondents Dinner in recognition for asking presidents the tough questions, even after receiving death threats.
Now she pays tribute to those who have inspired her, as she continues her career as the longest-serving Black female as a White House correspondent. In her book “Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem,” Ryan celebrates Black women’s resilience and strength, championing those who have transformed their pain into progress despite economic, political, and social challenges.
We are honored to salute you, April Ryan, for the outstanding work you continue to do as a journalist!
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, visit her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on Twitter @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.