Claude Lewis, co-founder of the National Association of Black
Journalists passed away from complications of diabetes at age 82 on
Thursday according to the organization.
A New York City native, Lewis graduated with a
degree in English. He started his career as a reporter and in 1967 made
history, becoming the first African American columnist in Philadelphia
writing for the 'Evening Bulletin.' As a pioneering journalist, he
covered the civil rights movement and interviewed civil rights leaders
Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as icons Langston Hughes
and James Baldwin.
During a time when black faces weren't common
in the newsroom, Lewis recognized the need for more opportunities for
current and aspiring journalists in the field. In 1973, he co-founded
the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, a founding chapter of
the National Association of Black Journalists that would come two years
later. Today, NABJ is one of the largest journalism organizations in
the country providing career support and resources to journalists of
color. Making history again in 1982, he founded the first national
African American newspaper 'The National Leader.'
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Source: NBC News
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