KRLemmons African American Authors, African American Journalists, African American Nonfiction

September 29 of September is Black Reading Month: Gwen Ifill

Heavenly birthday wishes Gwen Ifill! Born September 29, 1955, Gwen Ifill was an African American journalist and author. In 1999, Ifill became the first African American woman to host a prominent political talk show on national television when she became moderator and managing editor of PBS’s Washington Week and senior political correspondent for The PBS NewsHour. In 2004, Ifill moderated the vice-presidential debate between Republican Vice President Dick Cheney and Democrat Senator John Edwards, and in 2008, she moderated the vice-presidential debate between Democratic Senator Joe Biden and Republican Governor Sarah Palin. She died in 2016.

KRLemmons African American Authors, African American History, African American Journalists, African American memoirs, African American Nonfiction

September 7 of September is Black Reading Month: Mark Whitaker

Happy birthday Mark Whitaker! Born September 7, Mark Whitaker is an African American author, journalist and media executive. He was editor of Newsweek from 1998 until 2006, the first African-American to lead a national news magazine. From 2004 to 2006, Whitaker served as president of the American Society of Magazine Editors. He authored five books, including his memoir: My Long Trip Home.

KRLemmons African American History, African American Journalists, Civil Rights Movement

365 Black Books Simeon Booker Thursday

Heavenly birthday wishes Simeon Booker! Born August 27, 1918, Simeon Saunders Booker Jr. was an African-American journalist whose work appeared in leading news publications for more than 50 years. He was known for his journalistic works during the civil rights movement and for his coverage of the 1955 murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till. He also was the first African American full-time journalist for the Washington Post. He died in 2017. He authored two works:

KRLemmons African American Authors, African American Journalists, African American Nonfiction

365 Black Books Ida B. Wells-Barnett Sunday

Heavenly belated birthday wishes Ida B. Wells-Barnett! Born July 16, 1892, Ida B. Wells-Barnett was an African American investigative journalist, sociologist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She died in 1931. Some of her notable works:

KRLemmons African American Journalists, African American Nonfiction

365 Black Books Les Payne Friday

Heavenly belated birthday wishes Les Payne! Born July 12, 1941, Les Payne was an African American journalist. He served as an editor and columnist at Newsday and was a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists. Posthumously, he was awarded the 2020 National Book Award for Nonfiction and the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Biography for his book The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X. Prior to the Malcolm X book, he co-wrote The Life and Death of the SLA in 1976. He died in 2018.

KRLemmons African American anthology, African American Authors, African American Educators, African American Journalists

365 Black Books Gertrude Bustill Mosell Saturday

Heavenly belated birthday wishes Gertrude Bustill Mosell! Born July 3, 1855, Gertrude Bustill Mosell was an African American journalist, author, teacher, and activist. She served as the women’s editor of The New York Age from 1885 to 1889, and of the Indianapolis World from 1891 to 1892. Her foundational work, The Works of the Afro-American Woman in 1894, looked into the future to project women’s roles in the twentieth century, particularly in suffrage, journalism and higher education. She died in 1948.

KRLemmons Women's History Month

Day 10 Woman of the Day: Charlotta Spears Bass

Bass-CharlottaCharlotta Spears Bass was a newspaper publisher-editor and civil rights activist.  She was also the first African American woman to run for the U.S. Vice President under the Progressive Party ticket.  Read more about this revolutionary woman below.

PBS: http://www.pbs.org/blackpress/news_bios/bass.html

Women of the West: http://theautry.org/explore/exhibits/suffrage/bass_full.html

Black Past.org: http://www.blackpast.org/aaw/bass-charlotta-1879-1969

Black History Now: http://blackhistorynow.com/charlotta-bass/

Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2874200015.html