Charles F. Harris facts for kids

Charles F. Harris (born January 3, 1934 – died December 16, 2015) was an American book publisher and editor. He was a leader in publishing. He helped many important African-American writers get their books published. He did this through his work at Howard University Press and by starting Amistad Press in 1986.

Early Life and Education

Charles Frederick Harris was born on January 3, 1934. His hometown was Portsmouth, Virginia. He was the youngest of seven children.

When he was in elementary school, Charles delivered newspapers. His father told him to read everything he delivered. This helped him develop a love for reading.

Charles Harris went to Virginia State University. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1955. After college, he served in the United States Army. He became a first lieutenant before leaving the Army.

A Career in Publishing

Charles Harris started his publishing career in the mid-1950s. He worked at a company called Doubleday & Company. At that time, many people in the book business thought books by black authors were not very important or profitable. Charles Harris wanted to change this idea.

At Doubleday, he started the Zenith Book Series. This series focused on African-American history. It was made for students in elementary and high school. He published books by famous authors like John Hope Franklin.

Working at Random House

In 1967, Harris became a senior editor at Random House. Here, he edited a special magazine about black writing. It was called Amistad. He produced two issues of this magazine, one in 1970 and another in 1971.

Starting Howard University Press

In 1971, Charles Harris helped start Howard University Press. This was the first university press in the U.S. focused on black authors. He became its first chief executive. Under his leadership, the press published about 100 books.

Founding Amistad Press

In 1986, Harris created his own publishing company. He named it Amistad Press. This company focused on publishing books by and about African Americans.

In 1999, a larger company called HarperCollins bought Amistad Press. Charles Harris continued to lead Amistad Press as its editorial director until 2003.

Later Life

Charles Harris passed away on December 16, 2015. He was 81 years old. He died in Manhattan, New York.