Evelyn Cunningham facts for kids

Evelyn Cunningham (born January 25, 1916 – died April 28, 2010) was an important American journalist. She also worked as an aide for Nelson Rockefeller, who was a governor and later Vice President. Evelyn Cunningham reported on the early Civil Rights Movement, which fought for equal rights for all people. She was a reporter and editor for a newspaper called the Pittsburgh Courier. In 1998, she and her newspaper team won the George Polk Award for their excellent reporting.

Early life and education

Evelyn Cunningham was born Evelyn Elizabeth Long in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Her father was a taxi driver, and her mother was a dressmaker. When Evelyn was young, her family moved to New York City. She went to school there, graduating from Hunter College High School in 1934. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree from Long Island University in 1943.

Reporting for the Pittsburgh Courier

The Pittsburgh Courier was the biggest newspaper for Black people at that time. It was very important during the years leading up to and during the Civil Rights Movement. Evelyn Cunningham started working for the Courier in 1940. She worked from their office in Harlem, New York.

Covering important events

Evelyn became known as the "lynching editor." This was because she reported a lot on lynchings, which were violent acts against Black people in the Southern United States. She tried to interview a police chief named Bull Connor in Birmingham, Alabama. However, he refused to speak with her because of her race.

Meeting civil rights leaders

Evelyn Cunningham also met many important civil rights leaders. These included Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. She wrote a three-part series of articles about the King family after her meetings with them. She often worked with Thurgood Marshall, who later became a Supreme Court Justice. She covered the legal cases he worked on, which were very important for civil rights.

Working in politics and later career

After leaving the Courier in 1962, Evelyn Cunningham had her own radio show on WLIB in New York. In 1965, she joined Nelson Rockefeller as a special assistant. At that time, he was the governor of New York. She continued to work for him in Washington, D.C., when he became Vice President. She also served on a special group for President Richard Nixon called the Task Force on Women's Rights and Responsibilities.

Helping Black women

In 1970, Evelyn Cunningham helped start the New York Coalition of One Hundred Black Women. This group is a non-profit organization. It works to improve the lives of Black women and their families. They do this by creating programs and services that help with social, political, economic, and cultural issues. In the 2000s, the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, appointed Cunningham to the New York City Commission on Women's Issues.

Personal life

Evelyn Cunningham was a tall woman, almost six feet tall when wearing heels. She had red hair and was sometimes called "Big East." This nickname referred to her height and her background from New York City. She was very dedicated to her career. She once said that "marriage isn't much good for a career woman." Even so, she was married four times. Her last husband was Austin H. Brown, who passed away in 2003. He was a talented pianist who studied at the Juilliard School. He was also the first African-American master watchmaker in New York's Diamond District.

Evelyn had one brother, Clyde Whitehurst Long, who died in 1973. She raised his daughter after he passed away. She also had two step-daughters from Austin's previous marriage, which gave her two grandchildren.

See also

In Spanish: Evelyn Cunningham para niños