Homer Smith Jr facts for kids

Homer Smith Jr. (1909–1972) was an American journalist and postal worker. He made a big move from the United States to the Soviet Union in 1932.

Early Life and Education

Homer Smith Jr. was born in Mississippi in 1909. He went to the University of Minnesota to study journalism. He worked at the U.S. Post Office as a clerk to pay for his studies. After he finished college, it was hard for him to find a job at a big newspaper.

Moving to the Soviet Union

In June 1932, Homer visited Moscow, Russia. He was part of a film cast for a movie called Black and White. While there, he found a full-time job. He started working for the Soviet Union's postal service. He was an inspector and consultant, helping to improve their mail system.

Journalism Career

Even while working for the postal service, Smith continued his journalism. He wrote for the Associated Negro Press. He used his real name and also a pen name, "Chatwood Hall." His articles appeared in important newspapers. These included The Chicago Defender, The Crisis, and The Afro-American. He even wrote a weekly column for the Defender in 1934.

Three years later, Homer married Maria Petrovna. He became a Russian citizen in 1938.

War Correspondent

When Germany invaded Russia in 1941, Homer Smith Jr. became a full-time war correspondent. He reported on World War II for the Associated Negro Press. His reporting made him the first African American war correspondent. In 1944, he joined the Associated Press team in Moscow.

In January 1944, he visited the Katyn forest with other Western reporters. The Soviets invited them to see graves there. Homer Smith Jr. did not publish an article about this trip. In his later writings, he shared that he had doubts about the Soviet story. The Soviets claimed the Germans were responsible for the killings.

Later Life

Homer Smith Jr. left Russia in 1946. He moved to Ethiopia and worked for the Ethiopian Press Service. He never went back to the Soviet Union. In 1963, he returned to the United States. Two years later, he published his autobiography. It was called Black Man in Red Russia. This book focused on his experiences in Russia. Homer Smith Jr. passed away in Chicago on August 14, 1972.