Charlayne Hunter-Gault in Person
Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
Mount Holyoke College Community Center
Join NEPM, The Odyssey Bookshop and Mount Holyoke College as Charlayne Hunter-Gault presents her new book, "My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives." She will be joined in conversation by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, interim president of Mount Holyoke College.
Co-sponsored by The Odyssey Bookshop, Mount Holyoke College Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Weissman Center for Leadership, and New England Public Media.
About the book
From the legendary Emmy Award-winning journalist, a collection of ground-breaking reportage from across five decades which vividly chronicles the experience of Black life in America today.
At just 18 years old, Charlayne Hunter-Gault made national news when she mounted a successful legal challenge that culminated in her admission to the University of Georgia in January 1961—making her one of the first two Black students to integrate the institution. As an adult, Charlayne switched from being the subject of news to covering it, becoming one of its most recognized and acclaimed interpreters.
Over more than five decades, this dedicated reporter charted a course through some of the world’s most respected journalistic institutions, including The New Yorker and the New York Times, where she was often the only Black woman in the newsroom. Throughout her storied career, Charlayne has chronicled the lives of Black people in America — shining a light on their experiences and giving a glimpse into their community as never before. Though she has covered numerous topics and events, observed as a whole, her work reveals the evolving issues at the forefront of Black Americans lives and how many of the same issues continue to persist today.
"My People" showcases Charlayne’s lifelong commitment to reporting on Black people in their totality, “in ways that are recognizable to themselves.” Spanning from the Civil Rights Movement through the election and inauguration of America’s first Black president and beyond, this invaluable collection shows the breadth and nuance of the Black experience through trials, tragedies, and triumphs and everyday lives.
About the author
Charlayne Hunter-Gault is an Emmy-winning journalist who has been in the field for over five decades. After starting her career at The New Yorker, Hunter-Gault joined The New York Times where she established the Harlem Bureau, the first of its kind, and eventually joined the PBS Newshour as its first substitute anchor and national correspondent. She is the recipient of two Emmys and Peabody Award for excellence in journalism, among many other accolades. The author of four previous books, Hunter-Gault lives in Florida and Martha’s Vineyard.