Debra Dickerson facts for kids

Debra J. Dickerson (born in 1959) is an American writer and editor. She is known for her essays about race and identity in the United States. She also writes for Mother Jones magazine.

Early Life and Education

Debra Dickerson joined the United States Air Force in 1980. She served as an intelligence officer until 1992. An intelligence officer gathers and analyzes important information. While in the military, she earned a bachelor's degree in Politics and Government from the University of Maryland, College Park. She also completed her master's degree in International Relations at St. Mary's University. Her military career ended when she became the Chief of Intelligence at Ankara Air Station.

After leaving the Air Force in 1992, she worked for President Clinton's election campaign. She then attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1995. While there, she discovered her passion for writing. She began writing a column for the school's newspaper, the Harvard Law Record. This led her to pursue a full-time career as a writer.

Writing Career

Debra Dickerson's writing career took off in 1996. This was after her essay "Who Shot Johnny?" was published in The New Republic magazine. The essay described a difficult event involving her nephew. It explored her family's complex feelings about the situation.

Her articles have appeared in many well-known publications. These include The Washington Post, The New York Times Magazine, Good Housekeeping, and VIBE. She has also written for Slate, The Village Voice, and Salon. From 1999 to 2002, she was a fellow at the New America Foundation. In 2007, she became a blogger for Mother Jones magazine.

Dickerson has written two books. One is a memoir called An American Story. A memoir is a book about a person's own life experiences. Her second book is titled The End of Blackness.