SJIEP Honors Latest Cohorts; Names Velvet McNeil Its New Executive Director
The SJ Information Equity Project fellows and leaders pose at the South Jersey Information Equity Project fifth Anniversary and Honors at The Cartier Venue in Westville, N.J. on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Photo by Tyriq DeShields
AC JosepH Media
WESTVILLE — The South Jersey Information Equity Project (SJIEP), a pioneering media equity initiative dedicated to uplifting Black communities through inclusive media coverage and storytelling, celebrate its fifth anniversary with a new executive director and a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Trymaine Lee.
Velvet S. McNeil, an award-winning journalist and media consultant, brings a sharp visual storytelling lens and strong commitment to community media to her role as the project’s new executive director.
McNeil, who began her journalism career at The Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, previously worked with SJIEP as its project manager.
“As a visual journalist, I hope to support our media partners with a greater focus on digital storytelling,” McNeil said. “Our goal is for the South Jersey community to see SJIEP as a trusted source of news and information as we continue to grow our journalistic voice.”
A special celebration and graduation ceremony for the 2025 Journalism Fellows was held on Thursday, June 12, at The Cartier Venue in Westville.
The event highlighted the accomplishments of this year’s six fellows, who have worked closely with media and community partners to transform the local media landscape through impactful, community-centered reporting.
The cohorts included: Lydia Kai Adjetey, Brian Harper-Pinckney, Monique Howard, Jewel Justice, Asiya Robinson and Frank Santos.
Current partners are Front Runner New Jersey, Black In Jersey, SCOOP USA and Atlantic City Focus.
The evening included a fireside chat with Lee, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of Hurricane Katrina while at the New Orleans Times Picayune. He is now a correspondent with MSNBC correspondent whose work has spotlighted issues of racial injustice and social equity across the nation.
Lee is the author of a new book, “A Thousand Ways to Die,” a deeply personal exploration of the generational impact of guns on the Black experience in America.
As SJIEP continues to expand its mission, this event honored the mentors, instructors, and partners who had helped guide and support the fellows’ growth.
“Together, we celebrate not only a significant anniversary but a vision for a more equitable and representative media future in South Jersey,” McNeil said.
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