Luix Overbea facts for kids

Luix Virgil Overbea was an American journalist who helped start the National Association of Black Journalists. He passed away on July 10, 2010, at the age of 87. He was known for his important work in journalism and for helping other Black journalists succeed.

Luix Overbea's Early Life and Career

Luix Overbea grew up in Chicago. He studied journalism and philosophy at Northwestern University. After college, he moved to North Carolina. From 1955 to 1968, he worked for the Winston-Salem Journal. He was the only Black reporter there.

Luix didn't want to only write about "Black news." He wanted to cover all kinds of stories. He reported on everything from sports to important town meetings. However, some white people in town were upset when he showed up to cover their events.

Reporting on Important Events

In 1964, Luix Overbea was one of the first journalists to interview a young Jesse Jackson. Jackson was leading sit-ins at North Carolina A&T University. Sit-ins were peaceful protests where people would sit at places like lunch counters that refused to serve Black customers. This was a big part of the Civil Rights Movement.

Later, in the 1960s, Luix worked as an editor for the St. Louis Sentinel. This was a newspaper owned by Black people. He also worked for the Globe-Democrat.

A Long Career at the Christian Science Monitor

In 1971, Luix Overbea joined the Christian Science Monitor. He worked there for 21 years! He had many different roles. He was a writer for the newspaper and a TV show host for the Monitor's TV channel. He also became the vice president for community relations for their broadcast operations.

He was especially recognized for his reporting on school desegregation in Boston during the 1970s. Desegregation was the process of ending the separation of students by race in schools. This was a very important and sometimes difficult time in American history. Luix also wrote for other newspapers, including Boston Globe and the Bay State Banner.

Helping Other Journalists

Luix Overbea cared a lot about helping other Black journalists. He wanted them to find their way in the news business. He was one of the people who helped create the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). This organization supports Black journalists.

In 1993, the NABJ gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honored his long and important career.

Luix Overbea retired in 1992. He passed away in Boston on July 10, 2010. After his death, Kathy Y. Times, who was the president of the NABJ, said that Luix "paved the way for many black journalists to follow in his footsteps." This shows how much he meant to the journalism world.

More About Luix Overbea

Luix Overbea was married to Elexie (Culp) Overbea. They had one daughter named Adgirene. People remembered him for his great sense of humor. They also noted that he was "free of bitterness," even though he faced discrimination early in his career.

Besides being a journalist, Luix Overbea was also an artist and a poet. One of his poems, called "Hometown," was even carved into a monument. You can find it at the Roxbury Crossing Boston Orange line train stop.

Selected Works

• Poets on the horizon : a collection of poetry (1988)