Harry S. McAlpin was the first African-American reporter to attend a press conference at the White House. McAlpin was born in St. Louis, Missouri on July 21, 1906. He grew up in St. Louis and then attended the University of Wisconsin where he studied journalism and advertising and received his degree … Read MoreHarry S. McAlpin (1906-1985)
Homer Smith, Jr., best known for his fourteen-year sojourn in the Soviet Union, was born in 1909 in Quitman, Mississippi to parents Mr. and Mrs. Homer Smith, Sr. In 1916, at the age of seven, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota with his parents. Between 1922 and 1928, Smith studied journalism at the … Read MoreHomer Smith, Jr. (1909-1972)
Pioneering journalist Ethel Lois Payne was born on August 14, 1911 in Chicago, Illinois to William A. Payne and Bessie Austin. Known as the “First Lady of Black Press” for her extensive list of accomplishments as a writer, journalist, and reporter, Payne, according to her colleagues, asked questions no one … Read MoreEthel Lois Payne (1911-1991)
Merritt Talking to Police Officer Image Ownership: Public domain Afro-Filipino author, journalist, and government official, Jesus V. Merritt was born in Agoo, a city in the province of La Union in the Philippines, on October 15, 1913. He was the son of Julius Merritt of … Read MoreJesus Villanueva Merritt (1913- ?)
Roland Sebastian Martin is a journalist, columnist, and author. Martin was on born November 14, 1968 to Emelda and Reginald Lynn Martin Sr. in Houston, Texas. His maternal great grandparents emigrated from Haiti to the United States and settled in Louisiana. Martin graduated from Yates … Read MoreRoland Sebastian Martin (1968- )
Image Ownership: Boston Globe Dexter Dillard Eure Sr., pioneering black newspaper columnist for the Boston Globe, was born in Suffolk, Virginia, an only child to Luke Eure and Sarah Sharpe. His father left the family when he was an infant and his mother died when … Read MoreDexter Dillard Eure Sr. (1924-2015)
Philippa Duke Schuyler was an African American child prodigy, pianist, composer, journalist, and author. She became famous in the 1930s and 1940s for her unique musical talents, mixed-race background, and the abnormal methods her parents used to raise her. Schuyler was born on August 2, … Read MorePhilippa Schuyler (1931-1967)
“Image Ownership: Bernadette Defrasne/Senat” Jeanne (Jane) Vialle was a black French journalist and senator coming from the French colonies, born on 27 August 1906. She is one of the rare French women senators of her time and one of the first black persons to be … Read MoreJeanne/Jane Vialle (1906–1953)
Gwendolyn “Gwen” Ifill was a PBS newscaster, author, and American Peabody Award-winning journalist. Ifill was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York, on September 29, 1955. Her father, Oliver Urcille Ifill Sr., was an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) minister of Barbadian descent who immigrated to Panama, … Read MoreGwendolyn L. Ifill (1955–2016)
Lester Don Holt Jr. is an American journalist who anchors the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News. He also anchors for Dateline NBC. Holt was born in Marin City, California, on March 9, 1959, to June (DeRozario) Holt and Lester Don Holt Sr. His maternal … Read MoreLester Don Holt, Jr. (1959- )
