John Henry McCray facts for kids

John Henry McCray (1910–1987) was an important African American journalist, newspaper publisher, and politician. He was also a civil rights activist who worked to make things fair for everyone. Later in his life, he became a college administrator.

McCray worked at some of the most famous Black newspapers in the United States. These included the Lighthouse and Informer in South Carolina, the Pittsburgh Courier, the Baltimore Afro-American, and The Chicago Defender. He also helped start the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) in South Carolina. This party was very important for Black people in the South.

Early Life and Education

John Henry McCray was born on August 25, 1910. His birthplace was Youngstown, Florida. He grew up in Lincolnville, which is close to Charleston.

He went to high school at Avery Institute in Charleston. He was a very good student and was the best in his class, known as the valedictorian. In 1935, he earned his college degree in chemistry from Talladega College.

A Career in Journalism and Civil Rights

McCray started his career at the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. This was a large insurance company owned by Black people. From 1935 to 1938, he worked as a city editor for the Charleston Messenger newspaper.

In 1939, he started his own newspaper called Charleston Lighthouse. This newspaper later became known as Carolina Lighthouse. He also took over another newspaper called People's Informer.

On December 7, 1941, McCray published the first edition of his new newspaper, the Lighthouse and Informer. This was a weekly newspaper for Black communities. The Lighthouse and Informer was a very forward-thinking newspaper. It strongly called for racial equality, meaning equal rights for all races. It did not support slow changes, but pushed for big steps forward. The newspaper wrote about many parts of Black life. The last issue of the Lighthouse and Informer was published on June 12, 1954.

In 1944, McCray helped create the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) in South Carolina. This was a big deal because the PDP was the first Democratic Party for Black people in the Southern United States.

In September 1964, McCray returned to his old college, Talladega College. He became the director of public relations there. He later became the director of recruitment and admissions. He retired from the college in 1981.

His Legacy

John Henry McCray passed away on September 15, 1987, in Sylacauga, Alabama.

His work and writings are kept at the University of South Carolina library. This collection is called the John Henry McCray Papers. McCray is also featured in a large painting called The Pursuit of Opportunity: Celebrating African American Business. This painting is in Columbia, South Carolina. There is also a special historical marker in Columbia that honors McCray and his newspaper, the Lighthouse and Informer.

A book called Newspaper Wars: Civil Rights and White Resistance in South Carolina, 1935–1965 by Sid Bedingfield talks about McCray's life. In 2020, the National Park Service gave a grant to Allen University to study McCray's important contributions.