Top honors in the over 35,000 circulation category of the Columns category of the Carmage Walls Commentary Prize competition were awarded to Nedra Rhone, lifestyle columnist with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia.
First-place includes a curved glass plaque and a cash prize of $2,250.
Janel Davis of the AJC nominated Rhone for the award, saying she “tackles important issues in our community which impact the quality of life for all residents. Her stories are told with a focus on empathy and compassion, drawing readers in and helping to spark new ideas and bring changes that really matter.”
First column:
With I-20 dividing us, it's time to start process of reconnecting
Davis said this column “on reconnecting communities long divided by Interstate 20 offered the radical solution of tearing it down. Nedra noted that other cities have successfully done this in the past and urged city leaders to think in more innovative ways. Regional planners called the column ‘spot on’ and indicated they would continue studying these issues in the future under a new initiative.”
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Second column:
Can guaranteed income address economic disparities in Atlanta?
Davis said this column featured the story of a local woman who participated in a two-year guaranteed income program. She said, “The column offers insight into the woman’s struggles to stay afloat, the ways in which the program helped her family and how she is planning for the future when the program ends. The column also provided preliminary feedback from the program’s first two years. Program representatives said this kind of storytelling is key to encouraging support for guaranteed income programs in the city. Three months after the column ran, the program received another round of funding to assist a new cohort of women.”
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Third column:
Let's honor veterans with more than words
The column in honor of Veterans Day detailed the plight of a local veteran who has struggled to receive medical care from the Veterans Administration. Davis said it calls on everyone to draw on compassion and offer grace to the men and women who have fought for our country.
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Davis said: “Nedra’s columns reflect national issues through a local lens that help readers in Atlanta and the southeast region understand how broader events impact their daily lives and the lives of those around them.”
Among the judges' comments:
