Lewis Ossie Swingler facts for kids

Lewis Ossie Swingler (born around 1905 – died September 25, 1962) was an important African-American journalist, editor, and newspaper publisher. He came from Crittenden County, Arkansas. Swingler was the editor of the Memphis World newspaper. He was also the editor-in-chief and co-publisher of the Tri-State Defender. He used his work to help bring about change and support civil rights.

Early Life and Education

Lewis Swingler was born in Crittenden County, Arkansas, in 1905. He grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There, he went to Booker T. Washington High School.

After high school, Swingler attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL). He studied journalism and earned his degree there. While in college, he helped create the first chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at UNL. He also edited the Sphinx, which was a publication for that fraternity.

A Career in Journalism

Right after college, Swingler moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He played a key role in starting the Memphis World newspaper. He worked as its editor from when it began in 1931 until 1951.

In 1951, Swingler left the Memphis World. He then started a new newspaper called the Tri-State Defender with John H. Sengstacke. During these years, Swingler also taught journalism at LeMoyne College.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Lewis Swingler used his position in the Black community of Memphis to speak up for civil rights. Civil rights are the basic rights that all people should have, like freedom and equality.

For example, in 1948, Swingler and other important Black citizens in Memphis pushed the police department to hire African American officers. They hoped this would help reduce unfair or harsh treatment by the police. This effort was successful, and the police department began to hire Black officers.

Swingler also joined an early group that helped people sign up to vote. This group was called the Non-Partisan Voters Committee. It was started by Joseph Edison Walker in 1951.

Supporting Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1956, a big protest happened called the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This was when African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to ride city buses to fight against segregation. Segregation meant that Black and white people were kept separate, which was unfair.

During this time, Swingler was a leader in the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. When his fraternity brother, Martin Luther King Jr., faced legal trouble in Montgomery, Swingler traveled there. He was part of a group that went to support King.

Lewis Swingler passed away on September 25, 1962. He died in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, from a heart attack.