Everett Parker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Reverend
Everett Carlton Parker
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| Born | January 17, 1913 |
| Died | September 17, 2015 (aged 102) |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | University of Chicago |
| Occupation | Media activist and minister |
| Spouse(s) |
Geneva Jones
(m. 1939; died 2004) |
| Children | Ruth Weiss, Eunice Kolczun (daughters) Rev. Truman E. Parker (son) |
Everett Carlton Parker (January 17, 1913 – September 17, 2015) was an American media activist and an ordained minister. He worked to make sure that television and radio stations were fair and served everyone, especially minority groups. He was a minister with the United Church of Christ.
Contents
Everett Parker: A Champion for Fairness
Everett Parker was a very important person in the world of media. He spent his life fighting for fairness in television and radio. He wanted to make sure that all voices were heard, especially those of minority groups.
Early Life and Education
Everett Parker was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1913. He went to the University of Chicago. After graduating in 1935, he worked for a government program called the Works Progress Administration. He also spent time working at a radio station.
Later, he went back to school at the Chicago Theological Seminary. He earned a special degree called a Ph.D. in 1943. After that, he worked for NBC in New York. He also taught at Yale Divinity School for many years. From 1954 to 1983, he led the Office of Communication for the United Church of Christ.
Fighting for Civil Rights
Everett Parker is famous for his work during the Civil Rights Movement. In the 1960s, he took on a TV station in Jackson, Mississippi, called WLBT. This station was not fair to African Americans. It did not show their news or treat them equally.
Parker filed a petition to stop the station from getting its license renewed. He won his case. This was a huge victory for civil rights. It showed that TV stations had to serve all people fairly.
Parker also spoke many times to the FCC and the US Congress. The FCC is the group that controls TV and radio in the US. Parker told them that stations must follow rules for fairness. He wanted to make sure all viewpoints were shared on air.
I want them to remember that I was a guy who fought like the devil for the rights of minorities. — Everett C. Parker, Broadband & Social Justice interview, 2012
Media and Television Work
Beyond his activism, Parker was also involved in creating TV shows. He hosted a religious TV program called Stained Glass Windows. This show was on the ABC network from 1948 to 1949. In 1977, he produced a TV series for PBS called Six American Families.
His Legacy
Even today, Everett Parker's work is remembered. Each year, an event called the "Everett C Parker Lecture" takes place in Washington. This event promotes fairness in telecommunications. It helps carry on his important work for equal access to media.
Personal Life
Everett Parker was married to Geneva Jones. They were married from 1939 until her death in 2004. They had three children: Ruth Weiss, Eunice Kolczun, and Truman E. Parker. Everett Parker lived a very long life. He passed away at the age of 102 in a hospital in White Plains, New York.
