When Latria Graham joined the Department of English and World Languages of Augusta University’s Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences as an assistant professor, she did so as an already accomplished writer, storyteller and cultural critic dedicated to covering under-resourced and misrepresented communities in the American South.

Now she has been recognized with a major journalism award: the Heising-Simons Foundation’s American Mosaic Journalism Prize, which comes with a $100,000 cash prize.

“I’m honored to receive the American Mosaic Journalism Prize and view it as a life-changing vote of confidence in my writing and my dedication to covering under-resourced and misrepresented communities in my home region of the American South,” Graham said. “The prize also means breathing room and better resources for my research and reporting trips. I have several story ideas that require traversing thousands of miles across continents.”

The award was based on confidential nominations from journalism leaders around the country. The prize is awarded for excellence in long-form, narrative or deep reporting about underrepresented and/or misrepresented groups in the United States. The award recognizes journalism’s ability to foster greater understanding and recognizes the important work of freelance journalists in the U.S. media ecosystem. A panel of 10 judges — including journalists from The Associated Press, NBC News, NPR, Columbia Journalism Review and The 19th News, among others — selected this year’s recipients.

“I am so happy to learn that Latria Graham has been awarded the American Mosaic Journalism Prize,” said Kim Davies, PhD, dean of Pamplin College. “Her writing always moves me. She makes her readers think and feel. She is an amazing writer with keen insights, and, on top of that, she is a wonderful colleague and teacher. We are so lucky she is here at Augusta University.”