By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 16, 2023.– In August, Sam Ford, 7News’ D.C. Bureau Chief, announced his retirement from journalism, a career field that took him from small town Coffeyville, Kansas, to various parts of the world. His last day was Friday, December 15.
As a fellow Black journalist, Sam made tremendous contributions to The Washington Informer, an award-winning Black-owned newspaper, where I was News Editor for more than 10 years before initially returning to my native Bahamas in 1992.
Knowing that I was from The Bahamas, Sam did an extensive interview with me in September of 2019 after Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc in the Northern Bahamas, including Grand Bahama, where I had lived for 10 years prior to relocating to Washington, D.C., in 2013 as Press, Cultural Affairs and Information Manager at The Bahamas Embassy. That interview was aired on WJLA-7NEWS.
I most certainly would like to wish Sam the very best in his retirement years and may Our Lord and Savior richly and abundantly bless him during his ongoing life’s journey.
As a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NAJB), according to information gleaned from the Internet Sam is a “voting member of the Cherokee Nation and has taken an interest in history, including Black History”. Indeed, he has “traced some of his ancestry to slaves owned by American Indians in Oklahoma.”
After learning that his “father’s ancestry was from what is Nigeria today, he traveled there to look for more clues into his family’s past,” the Internet article noted.
Since he announced his retirement, Facebook has been inundated with accolades highlighting his achievements during his journalistic career. D.C. Mayor Muriel posted a photo on Facebook on Saturday, December 16, with her and Sam with the following narrative:
“Over an inspiring career, Sam Ford7 has been a storyteller and a champion for DC. Sam, congratulations on your one-of-a-kind career at ABC News and thank you for your commitment to telling DC stories—and for playing your own part in the story of DC.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A more in depth background int Sam Ford’s remarkable journalistic career was documented in this article by Winston Rogers:
A LEGEND IN HIS OWN RIGHT: 7NEWS DC BUREAU CHIEF SAM FORD BIDS FAREWELL AFTER 50 YEARS IN JOURNALISM
STORY BY WINSTON ROGERS
While on a long drive back to D.C. in early December, after following up on a story he’d covered years prior, Sam Ford passed time with a phone call recapping his decades-long career in the news.
The journalist hardened by 50 years of love and dedication to the craft has been at the forefront of landmark news in the District. And in the past, he has shared impactful news from around the country and the world.
For the last 36 years though, Ford was with 7News, much of which as the D.C. Bureau Chief, In his own words, covering everything from “The White House to the crack house.”
Celebrating 75 Years | A conversation with 7News legends Sam Ford and Pege Gilgannon
At the heart of his work were the people of the District, oftentimes injecting historical insight into his stories.
These past five decades have flown by for Ford, which is why he said his retirement feels a bit bittersweet.
In August, Ford confirmed his retirement from journalism, a career field that took him from small town Coffeyville, Kansas, to various parts of the world. His last day is Dec. 15.
Following his announcement, hundreds on social media congratulated him, including news personalities across the east coast.
Some people referred to Ford as “A living legend,” and “A class act.”
I’ve worked with Sam for 33 years now. In that time, my respect and fondness for him has only grown. Sam truly cares about his community. His journalism is driven by a desire to help people. His work represents everything we mean by 7News ‘On Your Side’.” 7News Maryland Bureau Chief Brad Bell said. “More importantly he is a truly good man. It has been my honor to be his colleague for the bulk of our careers. I will miss him tremendously.”
“Sam Ford’s career is part of the institution of Washington, D.C. and 7News is so proud to have him as part of our station’s legacy. We will miss his curious nature and contagious laugh in our newsroom but we wish Sam well in this next chapter of his life’s journey,” said 7News News Director Cheryl Carson.
Sam Ford’s career began in radio, spending hours in radio clubs while growing up in school. At age 19, he began working in radio at WREN in Topeka, KS., and also as a morning news personality for KANU at the Lawrence University of Kansas.
After several years of working at radio stations in Kansas, then Minnesota where he attended graduate school, at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Ford made the jump to television. He joined then-ABC affiliate KMSP-TV as a weekend reporter and later joined WCCO CBS Minnesota. It was while he was at WCCO that he was called to be a national correspondent for CBS News. For nearly a decade he was stationed at CBS Bureaus in New York, Atlanta, and D.C.
It was also while working on an assignment for CBS that he was introduced to the woman who would become his wife, Gloria. The two remained married for 41 years until her passing back in 2021.
Sam’s career at 7News began in 1987 after being laid off from the CBS Bureau in Washington, though he had reported in D.C. numerous times prior. Ford said a day after the layoff, he received an offer from 7News. Turned out a producer at CBS called his brother, a former News Director for 7News. He didn’t take the job right away but would ultimately accept it.
At 7News, Ford played a pivotal role in covering massive events like the September 11 attacks, the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama, and several commemorations of the March on Washington. For much of his career, he worked alongside legendary news photographer Pege Gilgannon.
“I was lucky to work with Sam. He was a great reporter and a forever friend! He cared about D.C. and reported about all the big stories and forgotten stories with integrity and caring. He was always ready to help, never wanting to be the story but be a possible solution,” Gilgannon said. “D.C. will now miss his focus but can embrace the hope his stories have instilled. I was lucky to see a part of D.C. that Sam’s words opened to us!… He made our work at the D.C. bureau meaningful and relevant.”
Ford received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the Edward R Murrow Award, Associated Press, New York, and several regional Emmys. On Dec. 13, 2023, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, alongside other reporters in the area, honored Ford with a proclamation and council resolution, declaring it “Sam Ford Day” in D.C.
Ford often sought to hold DMV leaders accountable and was well respected by those he was often critical of.
However, the stories that stood out most to Ford were ones chronicling the stories of African Americans and smaller communities. His stories were often cyclical, following up with those he covered years after the initial event.
In our conversation, Ford mentioned his 30-year coverage of Christopher Oglesby and James Green, which started back in 1989 when he was assigned to cover the impact of the crime and crack epidemic on youth at the time. He followed up with them in 2021 when they were both adults.
“I did that story and that we did it on Christmas Eve [2021] and my statement to the people was, ‘you know, we see all this stuff out here with these young people. It ain’t all bad news folks,'” Ford said as if you could hear his smile.
Another story, or rather a series of stories of note, highlighted the students at Ballou High School allowing them to share their own experiences. He also followed the Ballou High School band’s journey to California.
In one story, Ford and Gilgannon went to Nigeria, as Ford traced his genealogical roots back to a local tribe. It wasn’t his first time reporting in Africa though, having followed Fairfax County fire crews to Nairobi, Kenya, and writing several stories about African-American connections to Sierra Leone.
“I’ve been to many places in the world and I’ve met many people, been in places that you know that some people would want to be and whatnot,” Ford said. “Hey, and you know it’s because I worked in television and also I’ve often felt that I’ve been able to help people, you know, people need it sometimes.”
As we wrapped up our conversation, Ford was asked what was next. While he said he couldn’t do journalism forever, Sam plans to continue helping and inspiring the communities both in D.C. and in Kansas. He spoke briefly about a goal to inspire those children in his hometown by teaching them more about significant African Americans, like Langston Hughes.
He also expressed interest in going back to Ghana for fun and enjoying life as much as possible.
In the past, Ford also mentioned that he was the subject of a Cherokee Nation documentary. Ford is a voting member of the nation and has also done stories learning about his family’s connection.
As for what he would say to those interested in journalism:
“You kind of really like it to the point that, you know, as I guess was when I was a kid, I felt like I should be paying these people to let me work there because I was having such a good time. But that’s what I would say,” Ford said. “You know, if you wanna do it, you know, jump all in and make it an important thing for you.”
