Nichelle Smith is the coordinating editor for USA TODAY’s Investigations team and leader of several award-winning race and diversity projects for Gannett and USA TODAY, including Civil Rights in America, Changing Face of America, the 1968 Project and most recently, 1619. She is also the editor of USA TODAY’s annual Black History Month special edition, which was nominated for a Salute to Excellence Award in 2017 from the National Association of Black Journalists and won awards for writers in 2018. (April 2020)