Lawrence Ross facts for kids

Lawrence C. Ross Jr. (born February 20, 1966) is an American author. He writes both true stories (non-fiction) and made-up stories (fiction).

About Lawrence Ross

Early Life and Education

Lawrence Ross was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 20, 1966. He went to Loyola High School. After high school, he studied history at the University of California, Berkeley. He also attended the UCLA.

Later, Ross earned a special degree called a Master of Fine Arts (MFA). He got this degree from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. His MFA focused on writing for movies and TV shows, which is called screenwriting.

Career Beginnings

Before becoming a full-time author, Lawrence Ross worked as a reporter. He wrote for the Los Angeles Independent Newspaper. In 1997, he became the managing editor of Rap Sheet magazine. This was the first hip hop magazine on the West Coast.

Writing About History and Culture

In 1997, Ross, who is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, started writing an important book. It was called The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities. This book was the first to cover the history of groups in the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). The NPHC is an organization for historically Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities.

The Divine Nine became a very popular book. It appeared on bestseller lists for magazines like Essence and newspapers like the Los Angeles Times. Because of the book's success, Ross began traveling to colleges. He has given talks at over 300 universities. He teaches students about the NPHC and important topics like hazing. He also talks about how members of these groups can achieve their goals.

Ross has also written articles for websites like The Root.com and CNN.com. These articles often discuss African American college life and education.

Other Books and Media Appearances

In 2001, Lawrence Ross published his second book, The Ways of Black Folks: A Year in the Life of a People. In this book, he shares stories about Black people from different parts of the world. The National Association of Black Journalists chose it as a "Fall Must Read."

Ross then wrote his first fiction book, Friends With Benefits. This book was chosen by Doubleday's Black Expressions Book Club.

He continued to write, publishing Skin Game in 2007. His fifth book, ...: The Wild Nights and Lonely Days in Black ..., was also published in 2007. In 2016, his sixth book, Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses, was released. This book explores race issues on college campuses.

Lawrence Ross has been a guest on National Public Radio (NPR). He has also appeared on TV shows like Good Morning Atlanta. Magazines such as Ebony, Savoy, Essence, and Newsweek have interviewed him. He has also been featured in the Los Angeles Times.

In 2018, the University of La Verne gave Lawrence Ross an honorary PhD. This means they recognized his important work with a special degree.

Published Works

• The Divine Nine : The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities, 2000
• The Ways of Black Folks : A Year in the Life of a People, 2004
• Skin Game, 2007
• ...: The Wild Nights and Lonely Days in Black ..., 2007
• Blackballed : The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses, 2016

See also

• List of Alpha Phi Alpha brothers