The Blade Foundation this week announced the recipient of an inaugural reporting fellowship focused on covering stories at the intersection of LGBTQ identities and race.
Brandie Bland, a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Maryland, was selected from a group of applicants as recipient of the fellowship. “As someone passionate about telling stories at the intersection of culture and news, I am honored to have been chosen as a Blade Foundation fellow,” Bland said. “I look forward to expanding the horizons of my journalistic perspective and learning from those who have forged the path ahead of me as I explore the nuances, challenges, and joys of reporting on the LGBTQIA community.” The fellowship is funded by a grant from the Leonard-Litz Foundation. “This fellowship is an opportunity for us all to explore the vast and varied intersectional identities of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Colin Hosten, executive director of The Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation. “Our struggles are impossible to separate — quite literally for many people.
Let’s not forget, people of color were the ones leading the fight at Stonewall. At the Leonard-Litz Foundation, Racial Justice is core to our mission of helping LGBTQ+ people fulfill their potential.
We cannot build a whole future if we only tell half our history.” Blade Foundation Director Kevin Naff welcomed Bland this week. “We’re excited to work with Brandie,” Naff said. “She’s a talented young journalist who will bring readers a compelling range of stories during her fellowship.