CAU Student Ashton Edmunds Awarded Rhoden Fellowship From ESPN

(Clark Atlanta University August 21, 2020) – ATLANTA, GA – Clark Atlanta University (CAU) student Ashton Edmunds was recently selected to participate in the 2020-2021 Rhoden Fellowship, a one-year sports journalism internship program with ESPN’s The Undefeated that identifies and trains aspiring African American journalists. This Rhoden Fellowship class will begin Monday, August 24, and last through conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Ashton Edmunds, a senior mass media arts major from Tallahassee, Fla., is the sports editor for The CAU Panther newspaper, a 2020 summer intern for SLAM Magazine and an inaugural Turner Diversity Fellow at WarnerMedia. “I'm extremely grateful to be working with ESPN's The Undefeated,” said Edmunds. “Clark Atlanta University has prepared me well for this moment and I am extremely excited to represent my panther pride!”

A panel of senior editors at The Undefeated – ESPN’s multiplatform initiative exploring the intersection of sports, race and culture – and award-winning sports columnist William C. Rhoden selected the Fellows from a pool of outstanding applicants from HBCUs across the country.

 “Congrats to the fourth class of Rhoden Fellows,” said Kevin Merida, senior vice president and editor-in-chief, The Undefeated. “Keep striving. Keep dreaming. You are next. It’s your time.”

“I am excited to welcome a fourth class of talented Fellows into the fold! So grateful to The Undefeated, Kevin Merida, ESPN and the Disney company for continuing to provide this extraordinary opportunity to aspiring young journalists from HBCUs,” said Bill Rhoden, head, Rhoden Fellows, columnist and editor-at-large, The Undefeated.

About the Rhoden Fellowship:

Funded by ESPN, the Rhoden Fellowship is a one-year program founded by former New York Times award-winning sports columnist William C. “Bill” Rhoden, who joined ESPN’s The Undefeated in October 2016 to run the fellowship program and serve as columnist and editor-at-large. The fellowship – established as part of The Undefeated’s mission to develop new voices and serve as an incubator for future sports journalists of color – is open to outstanding undergraduate students at HBCUs.

The Fellows will work as stringers during the academic year, covering and reporting sports, as well as general news, at their respective universities for The Undefeated’s HBCU vertical. They also create and produce weekly multimedia content, and host and produce podcasts addressing resonant issues and topics affecting young people. During the summer, the Fellows work 40-hour weeks at ESPN offices in New York City and at The Undefeated in Washington, D.C. where they gain first-hand experience in all aspects of sports journalism.

The Undefeated is ESPN’s multiplatform content initiative exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture. The digital hub, TheUndefeated.com, which launched in May 2016, combines innovative long-form and short-form storytelling, investigation, original reporting and provocative commentary to enlighten and entertain African Americans, as well as sports fans seeking a deeper understanding of black athletes, culture and related issues.

In addition to its cutting-edge content, The Undefeated seeks to be a thought-leader on race, sports and culture in the country – convening insightful forums to discuss and debate topical issues affecting sports and race in America. 

About Clark Atlanta University (CAU)

Established in 1988 by the consolidation of Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869), Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is one of the Nation’s foremost research institutions, offering students from around the United States and several foreign countries the opportunity to engage in 38 exciting areas of study at bachelors, masters and doctoral levels.  

Notable alumni include: James Weldon Johnson; American civil rights activist, poet and song writer, (Lift Every Voice and Sing “The Black National Anthem”; Ralph David Abernathy Sr., American civil rights activist; Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia District 4; Kenya Barris, American award-winning television and movie producer; Kenny Leon, Tony Award winning Broadway Director; Jacque Reid, Emmy Award winning Television Personality and Journalist; Brandon Thompson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for NASCAR; Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu.