Eugene Gordon (writer) facts for kids

Eugene Gordon (born November 23, 1891 – died March 18, 1974) was an important American journalist, editor, and writer. He also served as an officer in World War I and was a social activist who worked for fairness and equality. He helped start and edit Saturday Evening Quill, a literary magazine from the Harlem Renaissance. He also edited Leftward, a magazine for the Boston John Reed Club. Gordon mainly wrote about racial discrimination and social justice. He sometimes used pen names like Egor Don, Clark Hall, and Frank Lynn for his fiction stories.

He was married to Edythe Mae Gordon, a well-known writer from the Harlem Renaissance. He also helped guide young writers like Dorothy West and Helene Johnson.

Early Life and Education

Eugene Gordon was born in Oviedo, Florida on November 23, 1891. He grew up in Hawkinsville, Georgia, and later in New Orleans. He remembered living through difficult times for Black people in the South. He wrote about these challenges in his short story "Southern Boyhood Nightmares."

Gordon went to Howard University and Boston University. There, he studied English and journalism. At Howard, he met Edythe Mae Chapman, who became his first wife. She was a notable writer and poet during the Harlem Renaissance. They married on January 10, 1916. They later separated in 1932 and divorced in 1942. His second wife, June Croll, was a well-known organizer for workers' rights. They had a son together.

After finishing college in 1917, Gordon served as a U.S. Army second lieutenant in France during World War I. He received a World War I Victory Medal for his service. He returned to the U.S. in 1919 and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. When he came back, Gordon was upset by the poor treatment of Black veterans. A few years later, he moved to New York and joined the Communist Party, a political group that believed in a society where everyone is equal.

Writing and Activism

Gordon started his writing career at the Boston Daily Post newspaper. By 1919, he became an assistant feature writer. In the 1920s, he began publishing both fiction and non-fiction. His work appeared in popular magazines like American Mercury, Scribner's Magazine, The Nation, and Plain Talk. His stories covered topics from African-American life to war experiences in France. In 1927, his short story "Game" won first prize in Opportunity magazine's literary contest.

Gordon cared deeply about making Black media organizations better. In 1924, he wrote a series of articles in Opportunity magazine. These articles discussed ways to improve the quality of Black newspapers and magazines.

In 1925, Gordon helped create an African-American literary group called the Saturday Evening Quill Club. Writers like Helene Johnson and Dorothy West were also founding members. Gordon served as the club's president. This club led to an annual literary magazine, Saturday Evening Quill. Gordon edited this magazine during its short time from 1928 to 1930. It published two issues. In the second issue, Gordon wrote "Negro Fictionists in America." This article explored how Black characters were shown differently by white and Black writers.

Gordon joined the American Communist Party in 1931. He also helped start the Boston John Reed Club and became the first editor of its magazine, Leftward. He lived in the Soviet Union for a year (1937–1938) and worked as a reporter for the Moscow Daily News. When he returned to the United States, he became an editor, writer, and reporter for Daily Worker, a newspaper that supported leftist ideas, from 1938 to 1946.

After becoming involved with the Communist Party, Gordon wrote more about social issues. He focused on topics like equality and fairness for all people.

By the 1950s, Gordon worked for National Guardian, a weekly newspaper. He reported on important events, such as the 1955 Bandung Conference in Indonesia. This meeting was a key step in creating the Non-Aligned Movement, which was a group of countries that did not want to take sides in the Cold War. In the late 1950s, he wrote a column for Black newspapers called "Another Side of the Story" for about two years.

In the 1960s, Gordon mostly retired from public life. He then spent his time on watercolor painting. When he passed away in 1974, Henry Winston, a leader of the American Communist Party, praised him. He called Gordon "a dedicated fighter for Democracy and Socialism." Others have described Gordon as a hard-working and committed journalist. His writings and letters are kept at the New York Public Library.

"The Negro Press"

Eugene Gordon's important article, "The Negro Press," was first published in American Mercury magazine in June 1926. In this article, Gordon explained that Black journalism went through three main stages. These were before the Civil War, after the Civil War, and after World War I.

Before the Civil War, Black newspapers mainly focused on ending slavery. After the war, their writing shifted to gaining full citizenship for formerly enslaved people. Finally, after World War I, Black publications wrote about how democracy should apply to Black citizens.

Freedom's Journal, started in 1827, was the first Black newspaper. It published writings by formerly enslaved people and supported the fight against slavery. Gordon noted that these early Black newspapers were very opinionated, but they were important for sharing ideas. They mainly featured essays, editorials, and biographies. These anti-slavery papers were influential but did not make much money.

After the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery, Black publications looked for new goals. Pamphlets became a popular way to share information because they were cheap and effective. Gordon observed that churches often supported the Black press during this time. Churches were central to Black communities. They used newspapers to connect with their members and share news and opinions. Some popular publications from this era included The Christian Recorder and Star of Zion.

World War I brought new ideas to Black communities. Some Black men saw fighting in the war as a chance to improve race relations in America. However, Black veterans, like Gordon, did not receive the respect they hoped for when they returned home. This lack of change led to a "new Negro" identity. This new generation openly demanded complete equality and supported the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, which created a communist government. The Messenger was a popular Black magazine that openly supported economic and social equality.

Gordon also noted that Black publications began to see journalism as a serious profession. Before, it was often a part-time job. As Black newspapers were compared to larger daily newspapers, Black editors started to hold their publications to higher standards. They also began to look more like white newspapers. Gordon pointed to The Chicago Defender as a model for this new style. He compared its publisher, Robert S. Abbott, to William Randolph Hearst, a famous white newspaper publisher.

Gordon then ranked publications like The Chicago Defender, Philadelphia Tribune, and the Pittsburgh Courier. He judged them based on their news, editorials, special features, and overall appearance.

Selected Publications

Fiction

• "Game" (as Egor Don, in Opportunity, 1927)
• "Sarcophagus" (in The Saturday Evening Quill, 1928)
• "Southern Boyhood Nightmares" (in International Literature, 1934)

Nonfiction

• "Christianity and the Negro" (in The Lantern, 1929)
• "The Negro Grows Up," (in Plain Talk, 1929)
• "Negro Fictionists in America" (in Saturday Evening Quill, 1929)
• “Blacks Turn Red” (in Negro: An Anthology, 1933)
• "Negro Novelists and the Negro Masses" (in New Masses, 1933)
• The Position of Negro Women (pamphlet, with Cyril Briggs, 1935)
• "Who Is George S. Schuyler" (in Worker, 1946)
• "Negro Labor Advances" (in Jewish Life, 1953)
• “The Green Hat Comes to Chambers Street” (in Nancy Cunard: Brave Poet, Indomitable Rebel, 1968)