He also joined the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Bennett's articles, short stories and poems have been translated into five languages. Survived by his three daughters and several grandchildren. Some were collected and published as books. His father worked as a chauffeur and his mother a maid but they divorced when he was a child. "Lerone Bennett, Jr.: A Life in Popular Black History.

After graduating, Bennett formally entered the world of journalism as a reporter for the now defunct Atlanta Daily World. He graduated from Morehouse College, earning money for tuition by playing saxophone in jazz bands. Official Sites.

Born and raised in Mississippi, Bennett graduated from Morehouse College. He became the city editor for the magazine and worked there until 1953, when he began his work as an associate editor at Jet magazine in Chicago, Illinois. But new works published in the 1970s and 1990s challenged that position. The Nation’s Largest African American Video Oral History Collection. A Biography of Martin Luther King Jr. He also served as city editor for JET magazine from 1952 to 1953. He was a historian and journalist who wrote about the African American experience. Biography.

[6], Lerone Bennett, "Thomas Jefferson's Negro Grandchildren,", John M. Barr, "Holding Up a Flawed Mirror to the American Soul: Abraham Lincoln in the Writings of Lerone Bennett Jr.,", Forced into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream, Association for the Study of African American Life and History, "Lerone Bennett Jr., Historian of Black America, Dies at 89", "Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: A Brief Account", "Lerone Bennett, historian and former executive editor of Ebony magazine, dies", "Lerone BENNETT III's Obituary on Atlanta Journal-Constitution", Wayne Dawkins, "Black America's popular historian: Lerone Bennett Jr. almost retired after 50 years at Ebony...", "Candace Award Recipients 1982–1990, Page 1", Lerone Bennett Jr.'s oral history video excerpts, Stuart A. It brought black oral history into the public world of journalism and published histories. Bennett received numerous awards such as the Literature Award of the Academy of Arts and Letters, Book of the Year Award from Capital Press Club and the Patron Saints Award from the Society of Midland Authors. [2] The magazine was established in 1945 by John H. Johnson, who first founded its parent magazine, Ebony, that year. He attended segregat… Lerone Bennett Jr. (October 17, 1928 – February 14, 2018) was an African-American scholar, author and social historian, known for his analysis of race relations in the United States. This last work was described by one reviewer as a "flawed mirror. Bennett also served as a visiting professor of history at Northwestern University. At twelve he began writing for The Mississippi Enterprise, a Jackson, Mississippi, black owned paper. Bennet served as visiting professor of history at Northwestern University. He recalled once getting in trouble for being distracted from an errand when he happened upon a newspaper to read.

A Biography of Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968 “An eloquent account:”— Newsday.” (Bennett) has succeeded in giving his readers an intimate look into the physical, mental, and spiritual growth of Dr. King.” — Boston Globe. [6] His 2000 book, Forced into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream, questions Abraham Lincoln's role as the "Great Emancipator". [9] A longtime resident of Kenwood, Chicago, Bennett died of natural causes at his home there on 14 February 2018, aged 89. His written work deftly explored the history of race relations in the United States as well as the current environment in which African Americans strive for equality. "Ebony Magazine, Lerone Bennett, Jr., and the Making and Selling of Modern Black History, 1958-1987" (PhD Dissertation, University of Manchester, 2016), This page was last edited on 1 October 2020, at 22:06. Bennett passed away on February 14, 2018 at age 89. Historian Lerone Bennett served as the executive editor of Ebony for almost forty years. His written work deftly explored the history of race relations in the United States as well as the current environment in which African Americans strive for equality. When he was young, his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, the capital. He was an top editor at Ebony magazine for over 50 years.

Publicity Listings Discussion panel featuring Lerone Bennett Jr. National Association of Black Journalists, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lerone_Bennett_Jr.&oldid=981369824, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2019, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1965 – Patron Saints Award from the Society of Midland Authors, Barr, John M. "Holding Up a Flawed Mirror to the American Soul: Abraham Lincoln in the Writings of Lerone Bennett Jr.", West, E. James. At twelve he began writing for The Mississippi Enterprise, a Jackson, Mississippi, black owned paper. He lives in Chicago. |  He wrote a 1954 article "Thomas Jefferson's Negro Grandchildren",[3] about the 20th-century lives of individuals claiming descent from Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings.

Other Works His best-known works include Before the Mayflower (1962) and Forced into Glory (2000), a book about U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Bennett attended Morehouse College, earning a B.A. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1949 and went to work at the black newspaper Atlanta Daily World. He was a journalist in Atlanta before moving to Chicago to work for Jet magazine. He died on February 14, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. I first became interested in Reverend King after hearing his famous speech "I have a dream". He was married to Gloria Sylvester. In 1953, he became an associate editor at Jet magazine. He always considered Morehouse as the center of his academic development. I enjoyed this book because I got to learn about how he came to become a great civil right leader, pastor and orator. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro.

[1] Bennett attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was classmates with Martin Luther King Jr. Graduating in 1949, Bennett recalled that this time was integral to his intellectual development.

in 1949. ", West, Edmund. All rights reserved.

©2020 The HistoryMakers. This had nothing to do with academics. 1-16 of 61 results for Books: Lerone Bennett Jr. Before the Mayflower: A History of the Negro in America, 1619-1962. by Lerone Bennett and Lerone Bennett Jr | Apr 2, 2018. Bennett served as a soldier during the Korean War, he also pursued graduate studies. "[7] It was criticized by historians of the Civil War period, such as James McPherson and Eric Foner. Forced into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream (2000) is a book written by Lerone Bennett Jr., an African-American scholar and historian, who served as the executive editor of Ebony for decades. Lerone Bennett Jr. (October 17, 1928 – February 14, 2018) was an African-American scholar, author and social historian.He was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi.He was known for his analysis of race relations in the United States. |  He started writing for a weekly black newspaper in Jackson, Mississippi, when he was 12. Thereafter, he served in the Korean War and began a career in journalism at the Atlanta Daily World before being hired away by Johnson Publishing Company to work for JET magazine. He died on February 14, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. By the age of 12, he was writing for the black newspaper The Mississippi Enterprise. His best-known works include Before the Mayflower (1962) and Forced into Glory (2000), a book about U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. [4][5], In addition Bennett wrote several books, including numerous histories of the African-American experience. 4.8 out of 5 stars 233.

He attended segregated schools as a child under the state system, and graduated from Lanier High School. The magazine served as his base for the publication of series of articles on African-American history. These include his first work, Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, 1619–1962 (1962), which discusses the contributions of African Americans in the United States from its earliest years. Bennett was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on October 17, 1928, the son of Lerone Bennett Sr. and Alma Reed. Since then, his comprehensive articles became one of the magazine's literary hallmarks. Bennett was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on October 17, 1928, the son of Lerone Bennett Sr. and Alma Reed. His father worked as a chauffeur and his mother a maid but they divorced when he was a child. [citation needed], Bennett married Gloria Sylvester (1930–2009) on July 21, 1956. His other works included: What Manner of Man?, Pioneers In Protest and The Shaping of Black America. Lerone Bennett Jr. was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on October 17, 1928. A series of articles originally published in Ebony resulted in Bennett's first book, a seminal piece of work, Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, 1619-1962. When he was young, his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, the capital. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University. I got this mad idea that if I could just find out why Mississippi was what it was, why racism existed, I would first of all be in a position to understand it, and secondly be in a position to maybe do something about it. Get it as soon as Tue, Sep … Lerone Bennett Jr. is the executive editor emeritus of Ebony magazine and the author of 10 books, including Before the Mayflower, Great Moments in Black History, Pioneers in Protest, The Shaping of Black America, and What Manner of Man, a biography of Martin Luther King. Hardcover $17.62 $ 17.