CUNY and Attorney General James announce Ruschell Boone Scholarship

September 24, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Ruschell Boone, Emmy Award-winning journalist and advocate, whose legacy continues to inspire through the Ruschell Boone Scholarship for West Indian journalism students at CUNY. Photo: Charter Communications Spectrum NY1 via AP

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The City University of New York and New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Monday that they established the Ruschell Boone Scholarship, a memorial fund honoring the late Emmy Award-winning journalist.

The scholarship will support West Indian students pursuing journalism degrees at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism or Baruch College.

Boone, a celebrated reporter for Spectrum News NY1 and a graduate of Baruch College, passed away in 2023 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. To honor her legacy, CUNY has pledged an initial endowment of $125,000 to help defray educational costs for eligible students.

“Ruschell Boone was a brilliant journalist who touched the lives of everyone she encountered,” said Attorney General James.

“Her understanding of this city, its communities and its people truly made her a New York City treasure,” James continued. “She uplifted people whose stories were often overlooked and always showed up during the tough and scary times because she knew her reporting brought comfort to this city.”

James explained that the scholarship will continue Boone’s legacy by empowering future journalists to reflect her “authenticity and compassion.”

“We are proud to honor Ruschell Boone, continuing the principle she lived by, with this new scholarship in her name for CUNY students,” said CUNY Board of Trustees Chairperson William Thompson Jr.

Thompson thanked Attorney General James, noting her role in ensuring Boone’s legacy is preserved in a meaningful way.

Boone, who was born in Jamaica and later moved to the Bronx, worked at NY1 for over two decades, earning numerous awards for her reporting. She became known for covering stories that resonated with diverse communities, including interviews with major political figures and coverage of key events like Hurricane Sandy and protests for racial justice.

Donations to the Ruschell Boone Scholarship Fund can be made payable to the City University of New York or the Research Foundation of the City University of New York, where funds will be held in a separate account for this purpose.