Gente de NAHJ: Kamara Daughtry brings cheer to virtual meetings with splashes of color
Kamara Daughtry eagerly greets her fellow journalists with a splash of color with eight different backdrops. Courtesy: Kamara Daughtry 
One of many backdrops that Kamara Daughtry used during the virtual convention. Courtesy: Kamara Daughtry 
Kamara Daughtry jots down notes as she recruits journalists at the virtual career fair. Courtesy: Kamara Daughtry
Many attended the virtual convention from their bedrooms or living rooms — perhaps with bookshelves or a window in the background, but to jazz things up a bit Kamara Daughtry decided to use not one, but eight different backdrops.
As she greeted fellow attendees at the convention, she surprised them with panels of silver tinsel, gold foil and multicolored dots pasted to a wall behind her.
“I want to showcase the importance of being prepared, having multiple backgrounds and having fun for this conference,” she said.
Daughtry is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. She currently works at Sinclair Broadcast Group as a Social Media Specialist in Baltimore, Md. At this year’s career fair, Daughtry helped recruiters at the Sinclair Broadcast Group virtual booth.
Outside her job, Daughtry helps journalists land their first or next job in the media industry. Her passion to help others goes beyond her day job — in 2018 Daughtry launched a Facebook group called Digital Careers Opportunities Worldwide (DCOW).
Daughtry graduated from Miles College in Fairfield, Ala. with a degree in communications in December 2018. She credits her experiences at her alma mater, the Emma Bowen Foundation and with her mentor, Tina Yarabrough, for instilling the desire to give back in the same way others reached out to help her.
“There were a lot of people who helped me, provided me advice and showed me the ropes, Black, Hispanic and white,” she said. “So, I knew that I had to pay it forward.”
Today the Facebook group has more than 4,500 members.
Eddi Cabrera Blanco is a graduate of Delaware State University. He is a bilingual journalist pursuing a career in television news and overs urban affairs at online magazine, Next City. Reach him at eddiblanco20 [at] gmail [dot] com and on Twitter @eddicblanco.
