J. Whyatt Mondesire facts for kids

J. Whyatt Mondesire (born October 14, 1949 – died October 4, 2015) was an important person in Philadelphia. He started his career as a reporter for a newspaper called The Philadelphia Inquirer. Later, he owned his own newspaper, the Philadelphia Sun. For more than ten years, he was also the leader of the NAACP branch in Philadelphia. The NAACP is a group that works for civil rights and equality for all people.

A Look at J. Whyatt Mondesire's Life

Early Life and Education

Jerome Mondesire was born in 1949. His father, Jerome Alexis Mondesire, came from Dominica. His mother was Winnifred Taylor Mondesire. J. Whyatt later studied journalism at City College of New York.

Career as a Journalist

In the early 1970s, Mondesire wrote for The Baltimore Sun newspaper. After that, he worked at The Philadelphia Inquirer. There, he became the city desk editor. This meant he helped manage the news about the city.

Work in Politics and Community

In 1980, Mondesire became the chief of staff for Representative William Gray. A chief of staff helps a politician with their daily work and plans. He worked with Rep. Gray until 1991.

After this, Mondesire started his own newspaper, the Philadelphia Sunday Sun. In 1996, he was chosen to lead the NAACP in Philadelphia. During his time as president, many more people joined the group.

In 2014, there was a change in leadership at the Philadelphia NAACP. Rodney Muhammad was elected as the new president.

J. Whyatt Mondesire passed away on October 4, 2015. He died at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Public Discussions

Comments on Donovan McNabb

In December 2005, Mondesire made some public comments about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. He said that McNabb was "mediocre at best." He also suggested that McNabb should run with the football more often.

Mondesire also believed that McNabb shared some blame for Terrell Owens leaving the team.

McNabb responded to these comments. He said that it was fine to talk about his playing. But he added that it was a problem when people talked about his race. McNabb also said he thought the NAACP supported African Americans, not spoke badly about them.