Peggy Peterman facts for kids

Peggy Mitchell Peterman (born Mitchell, around 1936 – August 19, 2004) was an African American journalist. She wrote for the St. Petersburg Times newspaper in St. Petersburg, Florida. Peggy was famous for helping to mix news about Black people into the main newspaper. Before her efforts, this news was kept on a separate page. She received important awards for her work, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and the International Women's Media Foundation.

Early Life and Family

Peggy Mitchell was born around 1936. Her father, William P. Mitchell, was a civil rights activist. She grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama. Peggy went to Howard University and earned a law degree.

Her husband, Frank Peterman, also studied law at Howard University. They moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. Peggy and Frank had two sons, Frank J. Peterman Jr. and John. Frank J. Peterman Jr. later became a state representative in Florida. Peggy Peterman passed away on August 19, 2004, at age 67. She died at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg due to heart disease.

Journalism Career

In 1965, Peggy Peterman started working at the St. Petersburg Times. Her first job was writing for a section called the "Negro News Page." She worked for the Times for 31 years.

Soon after starting, Peggy wrote a 14-page letter to the newspaper's main editor. She argued that the "Negro News Page" should be stopped. She believed news about Black Americans should be included throughout the entire newspaper. By 1994, Peggy was writing columns that shared the experiences of Black Americans. She once said, "My goal as a journalist was always to help people understand the African-American family and culture."

Peggy sometimes received hateful letters because she worked to end discrimination against Black people. In her articles, she focused on topics important to her. These included social issues and problems affecting children. She retired from the newspaper in 1996.

Community Work

Peggy Peterman also started the Black History Pageant in St. Petersburg. This event began in 1978. The pageants celebrated the spirit of African Americans. They started small, with about 15 people watching children perform poetry and music. Today, these pageants can attract up to 2,000 people. After retiring from journalism, Peggy became a minister. In 2002, she became a minister at the Bethel Community Baptist Church.

Impact and Legacy

Peggy Peterman's career at the St. Petersburg Times lasted from 1965 to 1996. This time included the Civil Rights Movement. Race was a very important topic throughout her work. She was first hired for the "Negro News Page." However, she worked hard to combine news about Black and white communities. She wanted to get rid of the separate page for Black news.

In her early days, Peggy received anonymous letters with racist insults. She kept these letters as a reminder to keep moving forward. She told her co-workers to always look to the future. During her career, she wrote about many important issues. These included racist attacks on young people and improving the St. Petersburg community. She wrote about Black issues in a unique way. Peggy said she could see a low-income neighborhood in St. Petersburg and write about it as a place many people called home.

Later, she encouraged other Black journalists to keep sharing the Black perspective. She felt it was important to continue telling these stories.

In 1997, the St. Petersburg Times created the Peggy Mitchell Peterman scholarship. This scholarship is given every year to a journalism student at Florida A&M University. The award includes $5,000 and a chance to work as an intern at the newspaper.

Awards and Recognition

Peggy Peterman received many awards for her important work:

• National Association of Black Journalists, Lifetime Achievement Award, 1989
• Humanitarian Award from The Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission and the Links, 1995
• IWFM Lifetime Achievement Award, 1999
• Human and Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association
• Meritorious Achievement Award from FAMU
• Delta Sigma Theta Ethel Payne Journalism Award
• NABJ Hall of Fame Honoree (given after her death), 2009

See also

• National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame