Isabel Wilkerson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isabel Wilkerson
Wilkerson at the 2010 Texas Book Festival
Born	1961 (age 63–64) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation	Journalist, author
Education	Howard University (BA)
Genre	Journalism, History
Notable works	The Warmth of Other Suns Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Notable awards	George S. Polk Award Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists National Book Critics Circle Award (Nonfiction) Anisfield-Wolf Book Award

Isabel Wilkerson (born 1961) is an American journalist and author. She is known for her important books, The Warmth of Other Suns (2010) and Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (2020). She was the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism.

Wilkerson worked as a newspaper editor and reporter. She was the Chicago Bureau Chief for The New York Times. She has also taught at several universities, sharing her knowledge with students. Her books have become best-sellers, meaning many people have read them.

Early Life and Education

Isabel Wilkerson was born in Washington, D.C. in 1961. Her parents moved there from Virginia during a time called the Great Migration. This was when many African Americans moved from the Southern states to the North and West. Her father, Alexander Wilkerson, was one of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.

Wilkerson studied journalism at Howard University. She became the editor-in-chief of the college newspaper, The Hilltop. While in college, she gained experience by working at newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.

Career Highlights

In 1994, Isabel Wilkerson made history. While working for The New York Times, she won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. This made her the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism. She won for her stories about the 1993 midwestern floods. She also wrote a moving story about a 10-year-old boy who took care of his four younger brothers and sisters.

Wilkerson has also been a professor at several universities. These include Emory University, Princeton University, and Boston University. She has helped many students learn about journalism and writing.

The Warmth of Other Suns

After 15 years of research, Wilkerson published The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration in 2010. This book tells the stories of African Americans who moved from the Southern states to the North and West. This movement happened between 1915 and the 1970s.

For her research, Wilkerson interviewed more than 1,000 people. She learned about their personal journeys and experiences during the Great Migration. The book quickly became a best-seller. Many reviewers called it one of the best books of 2010. It also won several awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

In 2020, Wilkerson released her second book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. In this book, she explains that the racial differences in the United States are like a caste system. She compares it to similar systems found in India and Nazi Germany.

Many people praised Caste. The New York Times called it "an instant American classic." Publishers Weekly described it as a "powerful and extraordinarily timely social history." The book reached number one on The New York Times best-seller list. In 2020, Netflix announced that Ava DuVernay would make a movie based on Caste.

Personal Life

Isabel Wilkerson was married twice. Her second husband, Brett Kelly Hamilton, passed away in 2015 after an illness.

Awards and Recognition

Isabel Wilkerson has received many awards for her work. Some of her notable awards include:

• 1993: George S. Polk Award
• 1994: Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Feature Writing
• 1994: Journalist of the Year award from the National Association of Black Journalists
• 2010: National Book Critics Circle Award (Nonfiction) for The Warmth of Other Suns
• 2011: Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for The Warmth of Other Suns
• 2015: National Humanities Medal from the National Endowment for the Humanities
• 2020: Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Caste

She has also received honorary doctorates from many universities. This means these universities recognized her great achievements.

Legacy

In 2023, director Ava DuVernay filmed Origin. This movie is a drama about Isabel Wilkerson and how she wrote her book Caste. Actress Aunjanue Ellis played Isabel Wilkerson in the film.

See also

In Spanish: Isabel Wilkerson para niños