Afghan journalists, including reporters, drivers, photographers and interpreters, were awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation on Friday. The Pulitzer Prize Board chose to honor those who "dedicated themselves at great personal risk to create and support journalism that has chronicled decades of life and war," according to a press release. "Courageous Afghan residents helped produce Pulitzer-winning and Pulitzer-worthy images and stories that have contributed to a wider understanding of profoundly tragic and complicated circumstances." The award also includes a $100K grant to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to help protect, evacuate and resettle these individuals and their families. Previous special citations have been awarded to Ida B. Wells, Aretha Franklin and most recently, Darnella Frazier, the teenager who recorded the infamous video showing George Floyd's murder. Earlier this month, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan's capital, leaving Afghan women, journalists, human rights advocates and former translators for the U.S. military seeking a way out of their country. Even before their takeover of Kabul, Taliban forces targeted journalists and other media workers according to a report from the Human Rights Watch, which found that Taliban members “engaged in a pattern of threats, intimidation, and violence against members of the media in areas where the Taliban have significant influence.” #pulitzer #afghanistan