Lerone Bennett, Jr. Biography Favorites Color Brown Food Collard Greens Quote ”Never give up.” Time of Year Autumn Vacation Spot Chicago

Writer and social historian Lerone Bennett, Jr. has served as the executive editor of Ebony for almost forty years. His written work deftly explores the history of race relations in the United States as well as the current environment in which African Americans strive for equality. Bennett was born on October 17, 1928, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, to Lerone and Alma (Reed) Bennett. When Bennett was young, his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, and it was here, while attending public schools, that Bennett's interest in journalism was kindled.

Bennett attended Morehouse College, earning a B.A. in 1949. He has always considered Morehouse the center of his academic development. After graduating, Bennett entered the world of journalism as a reporter for the Atlanta Daily World. He became the city editor for the magazine and worked there until 1953, when he began as an associate editor at Jet in Chicago, Illinois. In 1954, Bennett became an associate editor at Ebony, and he was promoted to senior editor of the magazine in 1958. Since then, his comprehensive articles have become one of the magazine's literary hallmarks.

A series of articles originally published in Ebony resulted in Bennett's first book, a seminal work, Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, 1619-1962. The book, with its comprehensive examination of the history of African Americans in the United States, gave Bennett a reputation as a first-rate popular historian. In his eight subsequent books, Bennett has continued to document the historical forces shaping the black experience in the United States. His other works include, What Manner of Man?, Pioneers In Protest and The Shaping of Black America.

Bennett has received numerous honors for his work, including 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. He has served as an adviser and consultant to several national organizations and commissions, including the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. Bennett's articles, short stories and poems have been translated into five languages.

Bennett was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on August 29, 2002.


Bibliography

Bennett, Lerone Jr., Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, Johnson Publishing Company: Chicago, 1962, revised 2000.

---. Pioneers in Protest, Johnson Publishing Company: Chicago, 1968.