Synopses & Reviews
In this groundbreaking biography, celebrated author James McGrath Morris skillfully illuminates the life and accomplishments of pioneering journalist Ethel Lois Payne, while also bringing to the fore the critical role of the black press in the civil rights era.
Payne used her journalistic skills as the Washington correspondent for the Chicago Defender to elevate civil rights issues to the national agenda. In the 1950s and 1960s, she raised challenging questions at presidential press conferences about matters of importance to African Americans and the emerging civil rights movement. A self-proclaimed "instrument of change," she publicly prodded President Dwight D. Eisenhower to support desegregation, and her reporting on legislative and judicial civil rights battles enlightened and motivated black readers. At some considerable personal risk, Payne covered such events as the Montgomery bus boycott, the desegregation of the University of Alabama, and the Little Rock school crisis. She also traveled overseas to write about the service of black troops in Vietnam and accompanied American leaders on diplomatic missions to Africa.
President Lyndon B. Johnson recognized Payne's seminal role by presenting her with pens used in the signing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. As a trailblazing black woman in an industry domi-nated by white men, she capped her career by becoming the first female African American radio and television commentator on a national network, working for CBS.
Ethel Payne's unassuming style of journalism was a key to her success. From Alabama to Ghana, from Indonesia to Vietnam, Payne's reporting eschewed the emotionless objective style coveted by mainstream publications of her time. She became for many black Americans their eyes on the frontlines of the struggle for equality in Washington, in the South, and in Africa.
The white and black presses, operating in parallel worlds, saw events differently. The white press was quick to portray civil rights legislation as munificent gifts bestowed on American blacks, while Payne's reporting focused on the failures of legislation to grant African Americans the equality that rightfully belonged to them. Ethel Payne's life and work offers readers an opportunity to see the historic events of the civil rights era through her eyes. Inspiring and instructive, moving and enlightening, Eye on the Struggle celebrates this extraordinary woman and her achievements—and reminds us of the power one person has to transform our lives and our world.
Review
“…James McGrath Morris lifts Ethel Payne from relative obscurity revealing a fearless, intrepid journalist who covered practically every important event of her day…” Herb Boyd, National Association of Black Journalist, Hall of Fame, inductee
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Ethel Payne was a pioneer who experienced the challenges but little of the glory that comes with the title. With this book, her legacy is assured. Paula J. Giddings, author of < i=""> Ida, A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching <>
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“A deeply researched, skillfully written biography about a previously underappreciated individual.” < i=""> Kirkus Reviews <>
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“James McGrath Morriss eloquent book - quite a feat of historical excavation into the black press as well - should bring her many new admirers.” Wil Haygood, author of the bestselling, < i=""> The Butler: A Witness to History <>
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In Eye on the Struggle James McGrath Morris lifts Ethel Payne from relative obscurity revealing a fearless, intrepid journalist who covered practically every important event of her day, whether at home in the heat of the civil rights movement or traveling abroad to Africa and Asia. ” Herb Boyd, author of < i=""> Brotherman <> and < i=""> Baldwin's Harlem <>
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“Eye on the Struggle is an incredibly important act of historical recovery. James McGrath Morris penetratingly insightful biography of Ethel Payne takes us into the world of the civil rights era black press through the eyes of one its trailblazing journalists.” Peniel E. Joseph, author of < i=""> Waiting Til the Midnight Hour <> and < i=""> Stokely <> Peniel E. Joseph, author of < i=""> Waiting Til the Midnight Hour <> and < i=""> Stokely <>
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“A debt of gratitude is due James McGrath Morris for bringing the remarkable life of Ethel Payne out of the shadows.” Pamela Newkirk, author of, < i=""> Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga <>
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The rich use of sources and glimpses of Paynes personal life will engage readers interested in civil rights, journalism, and womens history.” < i=""> Library Journal <>
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“[An] important...absorbing new book.” < i=""> New York Times <>
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“A well-researched, detailed look at the life of a pioneering journalist.” < i=""> The Washington Independent Review of Books <>
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“[A] groundbreaking biography” KamWilliams.com
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“Eye on the Struggle is a fast-paced tour through the highlights of 20th-century African-American history, with Payne as witness.” < i=""> Boston Globe <>
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“It is through Paynes eyes that author James McGrath Morris deftly shows us the history of post-World War II America.” < i=""> Minneapolis Star Tribune <>
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“[A] compelling biography” < i=""> O, the Oprah Magazine <>
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“[A] beautifully written and carefully researched new book.” < i=""> Chicago Tribune <>
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“Morriss research on Payne is meticulous…” < i=""> Washington Post <>
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“Morris is not only insightful, but also wise…” < i=""> Dallas Morning News <>
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“Morris has written a fast-paced, engrossing biography…” < i=""> New York Times <> Book Review
Synopsis
- African American Studies catalog
- Women's Studies catalog
- Ads in American Historical Review
Synopsis
Acclaimed biographer James McGrath Morris brings into focus the riveting life of one of the most significant yet least known figures of the civil rights era—pioneering journalist Ethel Payne, the “First Lady of the Black Press”—elevating her to her rightful place in history at last.
For decades, Ethel Lois Payne has been hidden in the shadows of history. Now, James McGrath Morris skillfully illuminates this ambitious, influential, and groundbreaking womans life, from her childhood growing up in South Chicago to her career as a journalist and network news commentator, reporting on some of the most crucial events in modern American history.
Morris draws on a rich and untapped collection of Paynes personal papers documenting her private and professional affairs. He combed through oral histories, FBI documents, and newspapers to fully capture Paynes life, her achievements, and her legacy. He introduces us to a journalist who covered such events as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Little Rock school desegregation crisis, the service of black troops in Vietnam, and Henry Kissingers 26,000-mile tour of Africa.
A self-proclaimed “instrument of change” for her people, Payne broke new ground as the Washington correspondent for the Chicago Defender. She publicly prodded President Dwight D. Eisenhower to support desegregation, and her reporting on legislative and judicial civil rights battles enlightened and activated black readers across the nation. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson recognized Paynes seminal role by presenting her with a pen used in signing the Civil Rights Act. In 1972, she became the first female African American radio and television commentator on a national network, working for CBS. Her story mirrors the evolution of our own modern society.
Inspiring and instructive, moving and comprehensive, Eye on the Struggle illuminates this extraordinary woman and her achievements, and reminds us of the power one person has to transform our lives and our world.
With 16 pages of black-and-white photos.
About the Author
James McGrath Morris is the author of Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power—which the Wall Street Journal deemed as one of the five best books on American moguls and Booklist placed on its list of the ten best biographies of 2010—and The Rose Man of Sing Sing: A True Tale of Life, Murder, and Redemption in the Age of Yellow Journalism, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. He is one of the founders and past presidents of Biographers International Organization (BIO) and makes his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.