Spartanburg Writer Wins Cash Prize

Spartanburg writer wins $100,000 journalism prize, 'put on this earth to tell stories'

Latria Graham loves writing so much that she teaches it, writes every chance she gets and views it as her reason for being on this earth.

Why else is she now the recipient of a $100,000 prize for journalism?

Graham leaves Spartanburg around 4:30 a.m. to start her  commute to Augusta University to teach writing.

It's that same commitment to the art form of freelance journalism that has gained her national attention as the Upstate native awarded a $100,000 prize and the American Mosaic Journalism Award for her coverage of social justice, sports, southern culture, and more over the past decade.

On February 11, The Heising-Simons Foundation announced Graham and Zaydee Sanchez as the winners of America's largest journalism cash prize, celebrating their writings, with well-researched stories of underrepresented and misrepresented communities around the nation.

Graham's beginnings are in Spartanburg. She graduated from the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, originally specializing as a clarinetist. However, she gained the confidence to pursue writing full-time.

"I've always loved books and telling stories," said Graham.

Not surprisingly, it took Graham awhile to muster the courage to pursue writing as a career path.

After graduating from Dartmouth College, she realized that her passion for writing was as strong as ever and she fully committed to freelance writing, editing, and pursuing that line of work at the age of 30.

Congratulations! Good job.