Honoring Legacy and Leadership During Black History Month at Columbia Journalism School
CJS is proud to highlight distinguished Black faculty, alumni and professional prize-winners.
Pioneers of the Past and Present
Luther P. Jackson Jr., '51 M.S., was not only a trailblazer in the journalism industry — he became the first Black faculty member at CJS in 1968. He parlayed his experience at the Washington Post covering urban affairs into becoming a mentor to many aspiring Black journalists.
After decades in publications, including the Pittsburgh Courier and Ebony Magazine, Phyllis T. Garland was the first Black professor and first woman to earn tenure in 1981. She was beloved by students for her passionate cultural reporting; and after her death in 2006, the Black Alumni Network Scholarship Fund was renamed in her honor.

Dorothy Butler Gilliam, '61 M.S., was one of the first Black women to graduate from the J-School — and at the age of 24, became the first African-American woman to be hired as a reporter for The Washington Post.
Marquita Pool-Eckert, ‘69 M.S., built a distinguished career in broadcast journalism, earning multiple Emmy Awards for her work at CBS News. A Columbia Journalism School alum, she joined Gilliam and others at the historic 2024 Ida B. Wells Symposium.
Award-Winning Storytellers
June Cross, Fred W. Friendly Professor of Media and Society, has won numerous awards with her groundbreaking documentary films. The winner of the duPont-Columbia Journalism Award, a National Emmy and a 2021 Peabody Award, she also founded the CJS Documentary Specialization in 2010.
Dele Olojede, '88 M.S., received the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for his “fresh, haunting look” at the Nigerian Civil War. His rigorous work sheds light on global issues with unmatched depth and insight.
E.R. Shipp, '80 M.S., is another Pulitzer winner, celebrated for her powerful commentary in New York Newsday.

James McBride, '80 M.S., is the National Book Award-winning author of The Good Lord Bird. His consistent literary excellence earned him the 2024 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction and cemented his legacy as a great American storyteller.
Wayne Dawkins, '80 M.S., was awarded the 2004 Columbia Alumni Medal and the Dean’s Medal for his contributions to the J-school. Having co-founded the Black Alumni Network in 1980, he’s also worked as a historian for the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and supported the recent Ida B. Wells Symposium at CJS.
Breaking News and New Ground
Wilmer Ames Jr., '71 M.S., was the founder of Emerge, a monthly magazine that served as an essential publication for Black readers. Ames Jr. was dedicated to creating a platform that addressed issues relevant to the African American community.

Diann Burns, '81 M.S., was the first African American woman to anchor primetime news in Chicago. Burns has had a profound impact on the industry and continues to be a prominent figure in media representation.
Lynne Duke, '85 M.S., worked as a reporter, editor and bureau chief for The Washington Post. She chronicled her time leading the Post’s Africa desk in Mandela, Mobutu and Me, and the book was nominated for the National Community of Black Writers' Hurston-Wright Legacy Award in 2004.
Leaders Who Inspire Change
Griff Davis, '49 M.S. — the only Black American student in his class — was “an inspiring pathbreaker who brought photojournalism and diplomacy together to chart changing times.” Davis chronicled African American life in the mid-20th century. A founder of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, he also served as the editor of The Atlanta Daily World.
Columbia Journalism Award winner Robert C. Maynard was editor of The Oakland Tribune and, after purchase, became the first African American to own a major metropolitan newspaper. Maynard received the Columbia Journalism Award for his dedication to promoting and advancing Black journalists and media.
Plus: Black History Month Events

The CJS Alumni Association and Office of Alumni Relations are hosting a virtual book talk on February 19 featuring Ria Omokha, ’20 M.S. Her new book Resist: How a Century of Young Black Activists Shaped America shares the story of young Black activists at the helm of fighting injustice over the last century.
The CJS Office of Inclusion is partnering with the CJS NABJ Chapter to bring in BA Parker and Gene Demy, the creators of the hit NPR podcast CODE SWITCH. The panel discussion with Professor Ty Lawson is an exclusive opportunity for students to explore the journalists behind Apple Podcasts’ 2020 Show of the Year. Open to CUID holders only.