Cynthia Tucker facts for kids

Cynthia Tucker, born on March 13, 1955, is a well-known American journalist. She writes a weekly column that is shared with many newspapers across the country. In 2007, she won a special award called the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. This was for her excellent writing at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. She was also a finalist for this award in 2004 and 2006.

Cynthia's Early Life

Cynthia Tucker was born in Monroeville, Alabama, on March 13, 1955. Her mother, Mary Louise Marshall Tucker, was a high school English teacher. Her father, John Tucker, was a middle-school principal.

Cynthia grew up during the early years of the Civil Rights Movement. This was a time when many places in the United States had separate rules for different races. Schools were often separated by race. Cynthia did not attend a school with students of all races until she was 16 years old.

She later went to Auburn University. There, she studied English and journalism. She also wrote for the student newspaper, called The Auburn Plainsman.

Cynthia's Journalism Career

Starting Her Journey in News

After finishing college in 1976, Cynthia started working as a reporter. Her first job was at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) newspaper. In 1980, she left Atlanta to work for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Soon after, Cynthia wanted to become a foreign correspondent. This means a reporter who covers news from other countries. She dreamed of reporting from Africa. However, the Inquirer felt she needed more experience. So, Cynthia traveled around Africa on her own for six months. She wrote articles as a freelancer, meaning she sold her stories to different newspapers. After this adventure, she returned to Atlanta. The AJC hired her again, this time as a columnist. A columnist writes regular articles giving their opinions.

Winning Awards and Sharing Ideas

In 1988, Cynthia was chosen as a Nieman Fellow by Harvard University. This is a special program for experienced journalists. In 1990, she was promoted at the AJC. She became the editorial page editor. This meant she was in charge of the newspaper's opinion section.

Cynthia wrote two columns each week for the AJC. These columns were shared with over 40 other newspapers across the United States. Her columns were so good that she was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2004 and 2006. She finally won the award in 2007. Many people see her as having politically liberal views.

In 2006, the National Association of Black Journalists named Cynthia Journalist of the Year. In July 2009, Cynthia moved to Washington, D.C.. She became the political columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution there. She also writes columns for The 74, a news website that focuses on education.

Teaching and Inspiring Others

In 2014, Cynthia Tucker moved to Mobile, Alabama. Today, she is a Journalist-in-Residence at the University of South Alabama. This means she teaches classes there. She shares her knowledge in communication and political science.

Cynthia's Family Life

In 2008, Cynthia Tucker adopted a baby girl. Her daughter is her only child.