March 13 would have been her 26th birthday.
Instead, Sierra Jenkins, an education reporter at The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press, was one of three people killed in a shooting in downtown Norfolk last March. In all, five people were shot after an argument started on Granby Street shortly after 1:30 a.m.
Sierra had celebrated her 25th birthday just six days earlier. She grew up in Norfolk and graduated from Granby High School. After attending Tidewater Community College, she transferred to Georgia State University, majoring in journalism with a minor in African American studies.
She had worked for The Pilot and Daily Press since December 2020 after stints at Atlanta Magazine and CNN. She began covering education shortly after returning to the area and quickly became a popular member of the staff and a mentor to others.
A hardworking, dedicated and curious reporter with infectious energy, Sierra had a bubbly personality and a big heart, someone who seemed wiser than her years. Smart and idealistic, she wanted to make her mark on the world.
The affable young reporter’s death sent shock waves through the journalism community, eliciting messages of sympathy from news organizations around the country. Dorothy Tucker, president of the National Association of Black Journalists, called it “a tragic loss of a beautiful, young, intrepid reporter.”
Throughout the day condolences poured in on social media, including from Gov. Glenn Youngkin, former journalist and state Del. Danica Roem and then-U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria.
In May, a suspect was arrested in the shooting. Antoine M. Legrande Jr. was charged with three counts of second-degree murder, five counts of use of a firearm and two counts of malicious wounding.
But late last year, charges against Legrande were dismissed after two witnesses failed to show up for a preliminary hearing, a problem that has plagued many cases in Hampton Roads where witnesses do not feel safe to testify.
Since then, friends, family and former colleagues have been left in limbo with no closure in this case. Meanwhile, many more shootings have occurred, both locally and nationally in the year since Sierra’s death. Gun violence rages on while our justice system struggles to keep pace.
One way Virginia Media has found to move forward has been through honoring Sierra’s passion for journalism. Last year, we helped establish a new scholarship for Virginia students pursuing a degree in journalism — in Sierra’s memory.
The first student recipient of the Sierra Jenkins Scholarship Fund will be announced this spring.
“It means a lot to us as a family,” said Maurice Jenkins, Sierra’s father, when the scholarship was announced. “For one, it’s just one more thing to keep her memory alive and to let people know who she was.”
The scholarship fund is being administered by the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, with funding and support from the Virginia Press Association, the Virginia Press Foundation and Virginia Media, among others.
Those who wish to contribute can visit bit.ly/SierraJenkinsScholarshipFund. The fund will provide one-time scholarships to longtime Virginia residents who are pursuing an undergraduate degree in journalism or communications with a concentration in journalism at a four-year college or university in the commonwealth. Special consideration will be given to Black students and students from historically marginalized backgrounds.
For Sierra, telling the stories about her community was more than a job. It was a vocation, as it is for so many local journalists. It is fitting that, through this scholarship, others may follow that calling.
As we at Virginia Media continue to mourn Sierra’s loss, we also pledge to continue calling for ways to address the larger scourge of violence: with sensible gun control legislation, better witness protection assurances, and early intervention programs, especially with at-risk kids. Gun violence is a community health crisis and should be treated as such.
We can’t change the fact that Sierra, and thousands of others just like her, have been victims of gun violence. But we can take their light and use it to make our future brighter.
