Lurma Rackley facts for kids

Lurma M. Rackley (born April 24, 1949) is an American author, journalist, and publicist. As a young girl, she joined her mother, a civil rights activist, in protests. Lurma was arrested many times for her part in these demonstrations. After college, she became a journalist. Later, she worked as a publicist for the city government in Washington, D.C. In 1981, a man named Petey Greene asked her to help him write his life story. She recorded interviews with him before he passed away. Lurma Rackley published her book about Greene in 2004.

Early Life and Civil Rights Work

Lurma Rackley is the daughter of Gloria Blackwell, a brave civil rights activist. Her parents divorced when she and her sister were very young. They were later adopted by her mother's second husband, Larney G. Rackley. He was a professor at South Carolina State University.

Lurma was very active with her mother in Orangeburg, South Carolina. This was during the Civil Rights Movement. She was arrested sixteen times by the time she was 13 years old. One time, she and her mother used a "whites only" restroom in the courthouse. They were arrested and missed a court date because of it.

Even though she was an excellent student, Lurma faced a tough sentence. At 14, she was sentenced to seven years in a reform school. This was because of her many arrests during the Orangeburg Freedom Movement. Her lawyer, Matthew J. Perry, appealed the sentence. He helped her get released. Lurma's mother wanted her to stop protesting after this threat. But Lurma refused. She felt she could not stop when others were risking so much. They agreed that neither would protest if the other was in jail.

Education and Journalism Career

Lurma Rackley earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark College in 1970. This school is now called Clark Atlanta University. She also received a special Masters degree from the Columbia University School of Journalism in the same year.

Her first job after college was in late 1970. She worked at The Evening Star newspaper. This paper later became The Washington Star. In 1979, she started working for the city government in Washington, D.C. She eventually became the press secretary for Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry.

Writing and Public Relations

In 1981, Lurma was asked to write an article about Petey Greene. This was for the Washington North Star newspaper. After their interview, Greene asked her to help him write his autobiography. For about a year, they recorded many interviews. Greene then became very ill. After Greene's death, it was hard to find a publisher for the book. Lurma Rackley eventually published it herself in 2004.

After working for the city for eleven years, Lurma left. She joined Hill and Knowlton, a public relations company. There, she was a vice president in charge of media relations. After two years, she left to lead the communications department at Amnesty International USA. She then worked at Eddie Bauer. There, she helped set up their corporate social responsibility unit. Next, she joined CARE, where she led media relations. Today, she works for Habitat for Humanity and as a freelance writer.

Family Life

Lurma Rackley has one son, Rumal Rackley. She lives in Atlanta.

Books

• Kenneth Walker, Earl Caldwell, Lurma Rackley, Black American Witness: Reports from the Front (1994). Lion House Publishing. ISBN: 1-886446-10-5