Jelani Cobb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jelani Cobb
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Cobb in 2023
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William Jelani Cobb
August 21, 1969 New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Howard University (BA) Rutgers University, New Brunswick (MA, PhD) |
| Occupation | Writer, author, educator |
| Organization | Columbia University The New Yorker |
| Title | Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism |
William Jelani Cobb (born August 21, 1969) is an American writer, author, and teacher. He is currently the dean of the Columbia Journalism School.
Before joining Columbia University in 2016, Cobb taught history at the University of Connecticut. Since 2015, he has also been a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine.
Jelani Cobb's Early Life
William Jelani Cobb was born in Queens, New York, on August 21, 1969. He was the youngest of four children. His parents grew up in the American South, where they didn't have access to good schools. Because of this, they made sure reading and learning were very important at home.
Cobb remembers his father, Willie Lee Cobb, teaching him to write when he was very young. His father was an electrician who had only gone to school for a few years. Jelani Cobb shared that his father's "huge hand" would guide his as he learned to write the alphabet.
Cobb went to Jamaica High School. Later, he attended Howard University in Washington, D.C.. It took him seven years to finish his degree because he often struggled to pay for tuition. He then earned his PhD in American history from Rutgers University in 2003.
His Career as a Writer and Teacher
Jelani Cobb has received special awards called fellowships from important groups like the Fulbright Foundation and Ford Foundation. These awards help people do research or write.
Cobb started his writing career while he was still at Howard University. He first wrote for a small magazine called One. Later, he wrote for the Washington City Paper. His first national writing job was for YSB magazine in 1993. This magazine was part of the Black Entertainment Television (BET) company. Around this time, Cobb also became more involved in politics. He decided to add "Jelani" to his name, which means "powerful" in an African tradition.
Cobb is an expert in African-American history after the Civil War. He also knows a lot about American politics in the 20th century and the history of the Cold War. He used to teach at Rutgers University and Spelman College.
In 2008, he was a representative for Georgia at the Democratic National Convention. This is a big meeting where political parties choose their candidates.
In 2022, Jelani Cobb talked about his goals as the dean of the Columbia Journalism School. He said he wants to help make the field of journalism more fair and open for everyone. He knows this will be a big challenge.
