From the Nominator

"Never Too Late to Say His Name started as a short research feature about TCU dance professor and historian Adam McKinney, who was leading tours of locations associated with the 1921 lynching of a Fort Worth man named Fred Rouse. The story evolved into the cover package for the summer 2021 TCU Magazine. 

We knew that Rouse had left behind three children, but no one knew their fates. The editorial team engaged in genealogical research and located Fred Rouse III, who learned of his grandfather because of this story. We recruited NFL Hall of Famer and racial reconciliation advocate LaDainian Tomlinson to go on the tour and take part in a video version of the story, which was shared widely on TCU’s social media.  

Additionally, wWe developed and hosted two live panels to draw attention to the story. The first examined how financial support is a key component of justice initiatives. Panelists discussed a project McKinney was co-leading to purchase an abandoned former Ku Klux Klan Hall and turn it into the Fred Rouse Center for Arts and Community Healing. The second panel featured McKinney, Fred Rouse III, Brandon Kitchin (who wrote the story), and Juneteenth activist Opal Lee. Together, they discussed how the legacy of enslavement harms everyone.  

The story was the most-read piece of content on the TCU Magazine website in three years. One of the philanthropy panelists recently provided the lead gift for the purchase of the former Klan hall that will soon become the Rouse center."

From the Judges

Investigative reporting, broad stakeholder engagement, history, great use of faculty and alumni experts, and a truly integrated strategy to drive engagement with the story. This is a consummate example of "only at a university"--cross-disciplinary collaboration has created an original, local, and relatable take on a chapter of U.S. history that needs to be preserved. Congratulations, TCU.