National Visionary
Born October 17, 1928 in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Executive Editor Emeritus of Ebony Magazine
BIOGRAPHY
Lerone Bennett has spent over 50 years telling the untold history of African Americans. As a journalist and author, he has used his talents to help combat racism and explore race relations and the history of the black experience in the United States.
Bennett (right) in Paris during the
Korean War.
Bennett stayed in Atlanta and later that year began working as a journalist for the Atlanta Daily World. In 1953 he became an associate editor at Jet magazine. A year later Ebony magazine, the oldest and largest African American owned publication, hired Bennett as an associate editor. He was promoted to senior editor in 1958, and eventually, executive editor.
Bennett has also become a well-respected book author, having published ten historical books in his career. His first work, Before the Mayflower: A History of the Negro in America developed from of a series of articles originally written for Ebony magazine. This classic has become one of the best selling books of African American history. In 2000, he caused a stir with Forced into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream, in which he presents evidence that Lincoln was a white supremacist, who was forced to sign the emancipation proclamation.
Bennett originally planned to leave the world of magazine journalism when he turned 75 in the fall of 2004, but the was persuaded not to retire from his position at Ebony. However, he still has plans to author five more books before he turns 80 years old.
Bennett and his wife Gloria have four children. His daughter, Joy Bennet Kinnon, is a senior editor at Ebony.
VIDEO CLIPS
EXTERNAL LINKS
URL (Click to bookmark): http://www.visionaryproject.org/bennettlerone