The University of Washington Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity has announced award-winning journalist Angela King, ‘94, as the next recipient of the Charles E. Odegaard Award. For three decades, King has produced hard-hitting reports on race and equity, exposed white supremist organizations in the Pacific Northwest, and has long been a champion of diversity and inclusion in the newsroom. She has selflessly given back to the University of Washington and is a long-time advocate of OMA&D. King will receive the highest University of Washington community-awarded diversity honor for her work advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.
About Angela King
King grew up in Pasadena, California, coming from a strong family of leaders and accomplished individuals, notably American musician and composer Hall Johnson, considered by many as the godfather of Negro spiritual music. She learned the flute and played professionally as a teen with the Hollywood Wilshire Symphony Orchestra and the Highland Park Symphony Orchestra in southern California. King moved to Washington in 1989 to attend the University of Puget Sound, notably the only Black female freshman in her class. Shortly after, she transferred to the University of Washington pursuing a double major in Broadcast Journalism and American Ethnic Studies, which fed her natural curiosity to learn about difference While a student at the UW, and as a young mother, King spent her free time at the UW School of Communications, the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center and even managed to find time to participate with the Husky Marching Band.
Immediately after graduation, King launched into her career as a journalist. Her internships at KOMO News, KING 5 News, and the UW School of Journalism, along with her tenacity and fearlessness, paved the way for her first career opportunity as an overnight news writer for KING 5 news. “I was going through my divorce, and I had just bought a ticket, literally to leave,” King said. “I was going to go back home to California with my son to raise him there. And within a couple of days, KING 5 offered me a job.” As the station and their affiliates merged creating the first 24-hour regional news station, King took her shot and moved from a writer to an anchor for their Portland bureau – her first role in front of a camera.
New to her role, King was armed with curiosity and was willing to take on tough issues head on. Amidst news of a growing white supremacy movement in the region and in the wake of race-based murders, she began her investigative reporting on the topic. Her first interviewee for a news story was civil rights activist Angela Davis. “Another fascinating moment for me as a journalist in my early years was explaining to people the difference between white supremacy, the difference between Neo Nazis, the difference between KKK – because we often just kind of lump all of those people in one group, and they are completely different groups,” In a 2023 interview with KUOW, she recalled her attempts to interview the founder of the White Aryan Resistance when he was scheduled to come to Oregon to recruit. “[I] called him up on the phone and said, ‘let’s talk.’” She continued, ”I didn’t let him know I was a Black reporter, and my managers did not like that. They quashed the interview because they were afraid and concerned about my safety. So, I studied the groups from afar.”
King has filed too many reports throughout her career to count, however, she recalls fondly her feature of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion in the Women’s Army Corps, the only all Black female unit to fight overseas in WWII and which her grandmother was also a member. Her contributions to accurate representation in the media, and behind the scenes have created pathways for diverse stories to be reported and has gently guided the way newsrooms portray people of color and additional marginalized groups. Kings reporting after January 6, 2021, gave a solid perspective on U.S. democracy, and the role of white supremacy, racism, and the rise of hate groups. “I think it’s important that we make sure we’re not afraid to talk about the ugly stuff, because you can’t fix what you think is already fine. And there are a lot of things that need addressing, and they’re uncomfortable to talk about. I don’t mind getting in those uncomfortable spaces,” said King.
“Angela has spent her career bringing tough issues into the light, and she has done so with integrity and an honest desire to inform the public,” said Rickey Hall, Vice President for OMA&D and the UW University Diversity Officer. “In addition, she has given so much of her time and talent back to the UW, to OMA&D, and to the students who came after her.” King has been a mentor to UW journalism students, gives her time often as an emcee for UW events, and has been the voice of OMA&D’s Annual Celebration for over a decade.
King’s work has been honored by such groups as the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In 2009, UW’s Viewpoint Magazine also named her as one of the “Top 40 to Watch,” and in 2024 listed her as one of 20 extraordinary alumni in the past 20 years. King has received the following accolades in recognition 2021 Gracie Award–Interview Feature, 2013 NATAS Emmy Award – Interactivity/Online Correspondent, 2010 NATAS Emmy Award – Informational News Segment, 2004 Society of Professional Journalists – Same Day Feature, and 2002 Office of the Mayor, Albuquerque, NM – Broadcasting Achievement Award.
In addition to her work as a journalist, King is an independent documentary producer and has contributed her talents to a variety of local organizations such as the University of Washington, Seattle City Club, and Neighborhood House.
On May 21, 2025, The Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and its Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program Board will present Angela with the Charles E. Odegaard Award at the annual Celebration Gala, along with the 2025 Spark Award recipient and awarding recognition scholarships to outstanding UW students excelling academically.
For more information about the 2025 Annual Celebration, please email celebration@uw.edu.