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Newberg native will receive prestigious journalism award |
NHS and GFU graduate Renee Mitchell earns the Ida B.
Wells Award for Bravery in Journalsim |
By
Schellene Clendenin, Newberg Graphic reporter
E-mail Schellene at
sclendenin@eaglenewspapers.com
|
Renee Mitchell, a Newberg High
School and George Fox University graduate and daughter of Women of
Purpose International founder O. Virginia Phillips, was recently
selected as one of 21 leaders for the 21st Century.
Mitchell, a twice weekly columnist for the Oregonian newspaper,
will receive the Ida B. Wells Award for Bravery in Journalism during
a May 16 ceremony in New York City.
She was nominated for the award in response to the works she’s done
with the community to bring awareness to verbal and emotional abuse,
she said.
Mitchell put together an empowerment project, called em-pow-HER,
that includes concerts, poetry, a novel based on that poetry, a play
based on the novel and speaking engagements.
She said physical abuse gets a lot of attention, but verbal and
emotional abuse gets very little. Mitchell is working to change
that. “Words do hurt people,” she said.
An author, director, producer and actor as well as a poet, Mitchell
suffered from psychological abuse for years, a press release
reported. She plans to work toward educating women about abuse and
helping them to heal.
“I am honored to receive this amazing award,” Mitchell said. “If
women need to hear my story to have the courage to tell their own,
then so be it. With God’s help, let healing begin with my shoulder.”
One of Mitchell’s poems, titled “Hit Me,” was written from her
experience with verbal and emotional abuse. Mitchell was nominated
this past year for the Pulitzer Prize for commentary and recently
raised $3,000 for a domestic violence shelter during a performance
of her poetry with a six piece band that included relocated New
Orleans musicians.
The international award is offered by Women’s eNews, a New
York-based online global magazine. Award winners are selected from
hundreds of nominations of women who stand out for extraordinary
visions and commitment to working on behalf of women, the press
release reports. |
|
From
Jan. 14, 2006,
Newberg Graphic
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