Heshimu Jaramogi facts for kids

Heshimu Jaramogi (born James Henry Wilson Jr., October 17, 1952 – January 14, 2020) was a well-known American journalist. He was a leader in multimedia journalism, which means using many types of media like video, audio, and text. Jaramogi was famous for his newspaper, "The Neighborhood Leader." He also wrote for major newspapers like The Philadelphia Inquirer and worked in radio in Philadelphia. His career lasted forty years, and he even became the president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists.

Heshimu Jaramogi: A Media Pioneer

Early Life and Education

Heshimu Jaramogi was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His birth name was James Henry Wilson Jr. He went to West Catholic High School. After high school, he studied at Northeastern Illinois University. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science. This degree focused on Inner City Studies, which taught him about urban communities.

After college, Jaramogi became involved in activism. He decided to change his name from James Henry Wilson Jr. to Heshimu Jaramogi. This new name came from the Swahili language. He was inspired by his Catholic upbringing, which taught him to care for others. This belief guided his studies and his later career.

A Career in Journalism

Jaramogi's career in journalism began with a short time as a reporter for NPR. He quickly showed a talent for reporting. He was especially good at telling stories from behind the scenes. This experience made him interested in producing news content.

In the 1980s, Jaramogi started working in radio. He became a producer and host for his own talk show, Let's Talk About It, on WDAS. From 1986 to 1988, he reported on city government for WPEN-AM. He also worked as a general reporter for WCAU AM. His colleagues respected him greatly. Karen Warrington, a fellow journalist, called him a "solid media professional." She noted his "African-centric point of view" in his communication.

Multimedia and Activism

In the 1990s, Jaramogi started writing for several newspapers. These included The Philadelphia Tribune, the Philadelphia Daily News, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He also wrote for the Philadelphia New Observer.

He took his journalism skills to the classroom. He worked as an adjunct professor at Temple University, Foothill College, and The University of Pennsylvania. An adjunct professor is a part-time teacher.

Jaramogi also created Jaramogi Communications. This company helped make multimedia news popular in the late 1990s. He was skilled in film, audio, and other media. He ran Jaramogi Communications for 22 years. Later, he worked for Clear Channel Communications from 2005 to 2007. This brought him back to radio stations like WDAS AM & FM and WUSL (Power 99 FM).

His activist beliefs influenced his work. Jaramogi Communications helped with political campaigns. They worked with U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Governor Tom Corbett, and District Attorney Lynne Abraham. In 2011, Jaramogi received a Lifetime Achievement Award. This award came from the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ). It recognized his long and important career.