Giving Voice to the Voiceless
Giving Voice to
the Voiceless

Overview
The Charlayne Hunter-Gault Giving Voice to the Voiceless Program invites proposals from students from across the University of Georgia to undertake projects that amplify marginalized voices and thus carry forward the work of distinguished alumna, journalist and author Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ‘63).
The committee’s goal is to recognize and financially support compelling student projects that center on marginalized people or issues, advancing social justice and creating bonds of empathy and understanding.
Ms. Hunter-Gault and her husband, Ron Gault, established the Charlayne Hunter-Gault Giving Voice to the Voiceless Fund to help UGA students engage in projects that amplify the voices of people who have been underrepresented, which has been the guiding light of Ms. Hunter-Gault’s own journalistic and humanitarian career for more than a half century.
In Ms. Hunter-Gault’s words: “I hope this fund will help students find and affirm the voices of people everywhere who fight for freedom, justice and equality for themselves and their people.”

About Charlayne Hunter-Gault

Charlayne Hunter-Gault, a 1963 graduate of Grady College, is the first Black woman to attend the University of Georgia. After graduating from UGA, Hunter-Gault joined the staff of The New Yorker, followed by The New York Times, PBS’s MacNeil/Lehrer Report and what is now the PBS NewsHour. In 1997, she became the chief correspondent in Africa for National Public Radio. She joined CNN in 1999 as its bureau chief and correspondent in Johannesburg, South Africa, and returned to NPR as a special correspondent in 2005. She has published several books, including most recently “My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives.” In 2023, Hunter-Gault was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and she has been honored with several awards, including two Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards.
PROGRAM GRANTS
An example of some recent program grants include:
Project: “Science Otherwise: Creating Space for Difference”
The funds will go to support a dissertation research project conducted through the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR), an indigenous-led, interdisciplinary, feminist and anticolonial marine science laboratory, that aims to change science into a more equitable and just space.
Project: “Science Otherwise: Creating Space for Difference”
The funds will go to support a dissertation research project conducted through the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR), an indigenous-led, interdisciplinary, feminist and anticolonial marine science laboratory, that aims to change science into a more equitable and just space.
Project: “Science Otherwise: Creating Space for Difference”
The funds will go to support a dissertation research project conducted through the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR), an indigenous-led, interdisciplinary, feminist and anticolonial marine science laboratory, that aims to change science into a more equitable and just space.
Project: “Science Otherwise: Creating Space for Difference”
The funds will go to support a dissertation research project conducted through the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR), an indigenous-led, interdisciplinary, feminist and anticolonial marine science laboratory, that aims to change science into a more equitable and just space.
Project: “Science Otherwise: Creating Space for Difference”
The funds will go to support a dissertation research project conducted through the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR), an indigenous-led, interdisciplinary, feminist and anticolonial marine science laboratory, that aims to change science into a more equitable and just space.
Proposal Guidelines
Applications are open each spring. The application includes among other things a brief description of the project or story, how it will give voice to the voiceless, a simple budget to show how funds will be used, and outline hoped-for outcomes, including ideas for sharing the project with audiences.
Selection
Whatever the platform or medium envisioned or employed (video, podcast, interview, research project or other format) selected projects should show the “giving voice to the voiceless” vision in action.
Projects will be selected on these criteria:
- Does the project illuminate and tell the story of locally or globally marginalized or underrepresented individuals or issues?
- Does the project enlarge our empathy and understanding, promote social justice or advance the human good?
- Would the project inspire action and follow-up?
- Is the project a candidate for proposing to the PBS Newshour website? Projects will also be pitched to Grady Newsource and the Grady website as well as UGA Today and other outlets.
Submission
Please email proposals to Sara Cook at SaraCook@uga.edu.
Announcement
- Grant recipients will be notified by email.
- Recipients will be asked to discuss their projects in Giving Voice to the Voiceless programming.
- Projects may be concluded at the end of the Fall 2023 semester or earlier.
Questions?
Please contact Sara Cook, saracook@uga.edu, 706-224-8498.
Make a donation
Add your voice with a gift to help students give Voice to the Voiceless.
Help students through supporting innovative projects, internships, study abroad experiences, field study and other endeavors.
For information about collaborating with this project or how to add your voice with a gift to students, please contact Sara Cook
Sara Cook, PR Specialist
saracook@uga.edu
706-224-8498
The Latest
Read the newest headlines, get updates and discover events happening at Grady.

Profiles of Tenacity: Karenia Murry
Fourth-year journalism student Karenia Murry currently serves as the vice president for the National Association of Black Journalists at UGA. She enjoys the community she’s found through organizations and classes […]

Research indicates policing videos contribute to trauma symptoms among Black Americans
Viewing violent police videos can result in trouble sleeping, symptoms of PTSD and feelings of being on guard, especially among Black Americans, according to research published in the Fall 2023 […]

SEE Suite benefits from Brazil PR agency partnership
The week of November 5, a team representing the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Grady College visited Brazil to exchange practices and continue research collaboration. Itai Himelboim, Michael […]

NaYoung Song takes on Crisis Communication
After completing her bachelor’s degree at Korea University, NaYoung Song decided to attend the University of Georgia to receive her master’s, becoming the inaugural scholar in a partnership between the […]

Profiles of Tenacity: Dani García Pozo
Dani García Pozo’s love of writing motivates them to craft memorable stories and projects during their time at Grady College. Read more about their creative pursuits below. Why did you […]

AdPR Academy continues to grow in 7th year
In late October, a diverse group of 30 students from colleges and universities across the Southeast gathered in Atlanta for just under a week of training to advance their skills […]

Perspectives
“Above all else, this fund has allowed people to identify their stories, stories that matter,” Carter said. “Many who I have interviewed have said, ‘you are the first person who has asked me about my experience at UGA.’”
Ashley Carter
(AB ‘20)