Era Bell Thompson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Era Bell Thompson
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Portrait of Era Bell Thompson from the collection of Black Women Oral History Project.
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| Born |
Era Bell Thompson
August 10, 1905 |
| Died | December 30, 1986 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Morningside College |
| Occupation | Writer, editor |
| Awards | Roughrider Award |
Era Bell Thompson (born August 10, 1905 – died December 30, 1986) was an amazing American writer and editor. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa. Her parents, Steward “Tony” Thompson and Mary Logan Thompson, were children of people who were formerly enslaved. Era Bell went to the University of North Dakota. She became a successful author. She also worked as an editor for Ebony magazine in Chicago. Era Bell Thompson received the Roughrider Award from North Dakota's governor. A special center at the University of North Dakota is named after her.
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Growing Up in North Dakota
In 1914, Era Bell's family moved to Driscoll, North Dakota. They were the only African American family in that small town. Era Bell and her three brothers were often the only African American students in their schools. This was a common experience for her as she grew up. She later wrote about not knowing many other Black people until she moved to Chicago.
Era Bell graduated from Bismarck High School. She was very good at sports there. She also enjoyed journalism. Writing helped her deal with feeling isolated sometimes.
College and Challenges
In 1925, Era Bell started college at the University of North Dakota. She was an outstanding athlete in track and field. She broke several school records. She even tied two national records. People saw her as one of the state's best athletes.
However, during her second year, she became very sick. This illness, called pleurisy, made her too weak to run track. She had to leave college because of it.
After leaving school, she moved to Chicago. She worked many different office jobs for a short time. Then, she found a job at a magazine. She learned a lot about how magazines work. She wrote that she learned to "run a magazine on hope, patience, and a very worn shoe string."
Later, her father became ill. Era Bell had to return to North Dakota. She worked for the Rev. Robert O'Brian family. They helped her and her family financially.
Becoming a Writer and Editor
With help from the O'Brian family, Era Bell went back to college. She earned her bachelor's degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. She then returned to Chicago. She studied more at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
At first, she couldn't find a job in journalism. So, she worked other office jobs. But she kept writing her own projects. She also received a special fellowship from Newberry Library. This helped her write her autobiography. It was published in 1946 and was called American Daughter.
Working at Ebony Magazine
In 1947, Ebony magazine noticed Era Bell's talent. She joined the magazine as an associate editor. Two years later, she became a co-managing editor. In 1953, she started traveling to report from other countries.
Era Bell Thompson was very important in shaping Ebony magazine. She helped guide its stories for about 40 years. She held many different editor roles there.
In 1954, she published her second book. It was called Africa, Land of My Fathers. This book was based on her travels to 18 countries in Africa. Era Bell was still listed as an editor for Ebony in 1985. This shows how long she worked for the magazine. She was praised for helping people understand different races and genders. She passed away in Chicago on December 30, 1986.
In 2020, Era Bell Thompson was honored. She was added to the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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Portrait of Era Bell Thompson from the collection of Black Women Oral History Project.
