Wil Haygood facts for kids

Wil Haygood was born on September 19, 1954, in Columbus, Ohio. He is an American journalist and author. A journalist writes for newspapers or magazines. An author writes books. Haygood is known for telling important stories about history and people.

His Famous Stories

Wil Haygood wrote a well-known article in 2008. It was called "A Butler Well Served by this Election." This article appeared in The Washington Post newspaper. It was about a man named Eugene Allen. Eugene Allen worked as a butler in the White House. He served many American presidents.

Haygood's article was so interesting that it became a movie. The movie, released in 2013, was called The Butler. After the movie, Haygood wrote a book about Eugene Allen. The book is titled The Butler: A Witness to History.

Haygood once tried to interview another White House butler. This butler had worked for three presidents. But the butler's family decided they did not want his story shared. This happened around the time Barack Obama was elected president.

Awards and Recognition

Wil Haygood is a special kind of scholar called a fellow. He is a fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. This means he gets support for his important research and writing. He is also a professor at Miami University. There, he teaches students about writing and journalism.

In 2018, Haygood wrote a book called Tigerland. Its full title is Tigerland: 1968–1969: A City Divided, A Nation Torn Apart, And A Magical Season Of Healing. This book was a runner-up for the 2019 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. This award celebrates books that help promote peace.

In 2022, Haygood received another honor. He was given the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. This award is also part of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. It recognizes his many important contributions to literature.

Books by Wil Haygood

Wil Haygood has written several books. They often tell the life stories of famous people. He also writes about important historical events.

• Two on the River, 1986
• King of Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell Jr., 1993
• The Haygoods of Columbus: A Family Memoir, 1997
• In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr., 2003
• Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson, 2009
• The Butler: A Witness to History, 2013
• Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination that Changed America, 2015 ISBN: 9780307947376
• Tigerland: 1968–1969: A City Divided, A Nation Torn Apart, And A Magical Season Of Healing, 2018. ISBN: 9780525432579
• Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World, 2021. ISBN: 9780525656876