Dear Reader: 

We are excited to announce that Sinclair Holian will join The Rambler in July as our segregation reporter, in partnership with Report For America.

Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms, selected The Rambler among 101 newsrooms to host a Report for America corps member starting this year. 

Sinclair will focus on the lasting impacts of segregation in Roanoke and how local government and business leaders are confronting, or not confronting, the societal ills it has wrought — from disparities in income, health, education, life expectancy, exposure to gun violence and more. 

“I am thrilled to be joining The Roanoke Rambler team this July as the new segregation reporter,” Sinclair says. “As someone who has dedicated my early career to covering injustices in my home state of North Carolina, this beat is close to my heart.” 

Sinclair comes to us from Greensboro, where she has already excelled as an early-career journalist. A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate, Sinclair has covered everything from the ongoing impact of HIV on rural populations to racial achievement gaps in public elementary schools. Last year, her story “Land Loss and Legacy on Historic Black-owned Farmland” in INDY Week won “Article of the Year” from the Hearst Journalism Awards Program, considered the Pulitzer Prize of collegiate journalism. 

“Across the South, segregation is entrenched in our communities and our everyday lives,” Sinclair says. “Housing, education, income and health are all profoundly affected—and yet, segregation is often viewed as a relic of the past. The Rambler is committed to understanding this critical issue in the present day, and I am honored to be a part of this mission. Thank you to the wonderful Rambler team, Report for America and the Roanoke community for trusting me with this responsibility. I can’t wait to get started!”

Report for America funds half of Sinclair’s salary while the other half comes from us — the community. Report for America is also The Rambler’s fiscal sponsor, meaning you can help support Sinclair today through a tax-deductible gift, here:

You may also donate by check. Please make out to The GroundTruth Project (Report for America’s parent organization), put “Roanoke Rambler” in the memo line and send by U.S.P.S. to: 

The Roanoke Rambler
Attn: Ribbon
PO Box 198 Orrick, MO 64077

We are grateful to Report for America and all our supporting readers for making this important coverage possible.

Thank you,

Todd Jackson
Managing Editor
The Roanoke Rambler
Local | Investigative | Literary
editor@roanokerambler.com