Trailblazer

Dorothy Butler Gilliam, whose 50 year career as a journalist put her in the forefront of the fight for social justice, offers a comprehensive view of racial relations and the media in the U.S Most civil rights victories are achieved behind the scenes, and this riveting, beautifully written memoir by a black first looks back with searing insight on the decades of struggle, friendship, courage, humor and savvy that secured what seems commonplace today people of color working in mainstream media.Told with a pioneering newspaper writer s charm and skill, Gilliam s full, fascinating life weaves her personal and professional experiences and media history into an engrossing tapestry When we read about the death of her father and other formative events of her life, we glimpse the crippling impact of the segregated South before the civil rights movement when slavery s legacy still felt astonishingly close We root for her as a wife, mother, and ambitious professional as she seizes once in a lifetime opportunities never meant for a dark skinned woman and builds a distinguished career We gain a comprehensive view of how the media, especially newspapers, affected the movement for equal rights in this country And in this humble, moving memoir, we see how an innovative and respected journalist and working mother helped provide opportunities for others.With the distinct voice of one who has worked for and witnessed immense progress and overcome heart wrenching setbacks, this book covers a wide swath of media history from the era of game changing Negro newspapers like the Chicago Defender to the civil rights movement, feminism, and our current imperfect diversity This timely memoir, which reflects the tradition of boot strapping African American storytelling from the South, is a smart, contemporary consideration of the media. Best Read [ Trailblazer ] by [ Dorothy Butler Gilliam ] – kino-fada.fr I am always surprised when I read about a first these days first black female neurosurgeon candidate was the most recent never mind that we re so far from parity equality that it s absurd that these things still happen Dorothy Butler Gilliam was also a first the first black female reporter at the Washington Post Having come from covering the Little Rock Nine for one of the country s leading black newspapers, she brought with her a level of experience and talent that could not be ig I am always surprised when I read about a first these days first black female neurosurgeon candidate was the most recent never mind that we re so far from parity equality that it s absurd that these things still happen Dorothy Butler Gilliam was also a first the first black female reporter at the Washington Post Having come from covering the Little Rock Nine for one of the country s leading black newspapers, she brought with her a level of experience and talent that could not be ignored by the managing editor.In her memoir, Gilliam describes her work in the ...Heard an interview with the author and was really excited about this book It definitely had its interesting parts and I feel like I ve been better educated about the challenges faced by black women in particular during this time period But the book was difficult There were paragraphs and paragraphs throughout just listing people she knew and worked with, and I m afraid I just don t really know who any of them are for the most part It was also kind of repetitive because it didn t tell her sto Heard an interview with the author and was really excited about this book It definitely had its interesting parts and I feel like I ve been better educated about the challenges faced by black women in particular during this time period But the book was difficult There were paragraphs and paragraphs throughout just listing people she knew and worked with, and I m afraid I just don t really know who any of them are for the most part It was also kind of repetitive because it didn t tell her story ...There are some really interesting moments here, but the delivery was too oral history for my attention span s literary snobbery There were also name dropping sections and repetitive sections I skipped over.This book is the story of the first black woman to work as a journalist at the Washington Post And what a story it is the first section of the book is riveting, 5 star stuff, as Gilliam recounts her early days at the Post and her experiences reporting on the civil rights movement Her experience in the segregated south at a time of such intense tension is harrowing, and both the atrocities and bravery she witnessed make for a very engaging story After such a strong beginning, the rest of the This book is the story of the first black woman to work as a journalist at the Washington Post And what a story it is the first section of the book is riveting, 5 star stuff, as Gilliam recounts her early days at the Post and her experiences reporting on the civil rights movement Her experience in the segregated south at a time of such intense tension is harrowing, and both the atrocities and bravery she witnessed make for a very enga...Another super important book about the work being done to improve diversity in journalism and the people we owe a debt of gratitude.The author, Dorothy Butler Gilliam, tells the story of her career as a black female journalist at a time when there were few women journalists and really no black females in the field She seemed to know even as a teenager what she wanted to do and despite the many barriers to her in performing her job, she was tenacious and focused and ultimately succeeded in making a path for other people of color to follow She must have an eidetic memory or at least have kept copious notes throughout her car The author, Dorothy Butler Gilliam, tells the story of her career as a black female journalist at a time when there were few women journalists and really no black females in the field She seemed to know even as a teenager what she wanted to do and despite the many barriers to her in performing her job, she was tenacious and focused and ultimately succeeded in making a path for other people of color to follow She must have an eidetic memory or at least have kept copious notes throughout her career because every paragraph has an almost exhausting amount of detail When she names a person, she gives an account of the person s past accomplishments, friends, family and associations with organizations It is a bit overwhelming, but she seems to want to give the reader the sense that her s...WOW What a life Ms Gilliam has lead The descriptions of her early days on the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement are gripping Imagine, three weeks into a new job you are thrusted into one of the most memorable events in our history The courage it took to go to Little Rock after seeing your boss being beaten on national television is just jaw dropping Wow.However The book does slow down once Ms Gilliam goes into her years as a Style editor for The Washington Post It s not her WOW What a life Ms Gilliam has lead The descriptions of her early days on the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement are gripping Imagine, three weeks into a new job you are thrusted into one of the most memorable events in our history The courage it took to go to Little Rock after seeing your boss being beaten on national television is just jaw dropping Wow.However The book does slow down once Ms Gilliam goes into her years as a Style editor for The Washington Post It s not her faul...Dorothy Butler Gilliam s book was captivating to me as I kept reading about all of her life struggles with her job, husband,and peers at the workplace and not to mention how she faced them head on And I was excited to learn about her accomplishments in helping change the mindset through her writing about the civil rights movement, feminism, and a flawed diversity in the workplace Learning about how passionate Ms Gilliam was about her work as a journalist gave me PAUSE thinking about that era Dorothy Butler Gilliam s book was captivating to me as I kept reading about all of her life struggles with her job, husband,and peers at the workplace and not to mention how she faced them head on And I was excited to learn about her accomplishments in helping change the mindset through her writing about the civil rights movement, feminism, and a flawed diversity in the workplace Learning about how passionate Ms Gilliam was about her work as a journalis...I was really excited to read this because the description sounded interesting and I was intrigued by Ms Gilliam s life, but I had a tough time finishing this book She told some good stories in the beginning of the book, but she started losing me in the middle with her story telling style It felt like she was jumping back and forth in time and telling the same story multiple times from different angles There were a lot of sections where she seemed to be doing name dropping that didn t feel re I was really excited to read this because the description sounded interesting and I was intrigued by Ms Gilliam s life, but I had a tough time finishing this book She told some good stories in the beginning of the book, but she started losing me in the middle with her story telling style It felt like she was jumping back and forth in time and telling the same story multiple times from different angles There were a ...As an accomplished woman with a graduate degree to face such daily slights, I felt not only pained but less than, inferior, not good enough not for what I did or did not do, but simply because of who I was Controlling my temper, I made a mental note that I would someday find a way to fight against such arrogance, ignorance, and white supremacy Most of my classmates were products of Western society and Western triumphalism, were studying at the best school of journalism in America to p As an accomplished woman with a graduate degree to face such daily slights, I felt not only pained but less than, inferior, not good enough not for what I did or did not do, but simply because of who I was Controlling my temper, I made a mental note that I would someday find a way to fight against such arrogance, ignorance, and white supremacy Most of my classmates were products of Western society and Western triumphalism, were studying at the best school of journalism in America to prepare for an occupation where they hoped to wield the power of the pen to influence people and events at home and abroad Black journalists shared all the problems of white reporters as a largely Northern antagonistic...Very intriguing story Drags a little in the middle but well worth the readI found Dorothy Butler Gilliam s memoir Trailblazer to be a great read It was another read that informed me what it is like to be the first and black in a career pre and post civil rights in this country As was the case with Ms Gilliam being the first back female reporter at the Washington Post Being a Southerner I am familiar with so much that occurred that paved the way for people of color to walk through previously closed doors so I really appreciate having a close and historical account I found Dorothy Butler Gilliam s memoir Trailblazer to be a great read It was another read that informed me what it is like to be the first and black in a career pre and post civil rights in this country As was the case with Ms Gilliam being the first back female reporter at the Washington Post Being a Southerner I am familiar with so much that occurred that paved the way for people of color to walk through previously closed doors so I really appreciate having a close and historical account of what it actually cost a person to succeed and survive during those difficult times I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Ms Gilliam family of ...Growing up in the South during the Jim Crow era, certainly left Dorothy Butler Gilliam well aware of what it was like to be considered a second class citizen Her family, church and community, however, left her well aware that she was loved, was a valuable person, and could succeed in life Add to that Mrs Gilliam s burning ambition, and you have a woman who started knocking down barriers in the field of journalism, beginning in the 1960s After getting a master s degree at Columbia University Growing up in the South during the Jim Crow era, certainly left Dorothy Butler Gilliam well aware of what it was like to be considered a second class citizen Her family, church and community, however, left her well aware that she was loved, was a valuable person, and could succeed in life Add to that Mrs Gilliam s burning ambition, and you have a woman who started knocking down barriers in the field of journalism, beginning in the 1960s After getting a master s degree at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she went to work at the Washington Post in 1961 As the first black female reporter hired by the paper, she would soon learn that some of her colleagues would totally snub her outside of the office She also would soon notice tha...This is a fascinating narrative Born in 1936, Dorothy Butler, a preacher s daughter, grew up in Memphis and Louisville, so she was very aware of the racism and segregation that existed in the South But she went all the way in school, graduating in 1961 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement with a master s degree from the Columbia School of Journalism After an interview, she became the first Black woman to become a reporter at the Washington Post She struggled initially, but persever This is a fascinating narrative Born in 1936, Dorothy Butler, a preacher s daughter, grew up in Memphis and Louisville, so she was very aware of the racism and segregation that existed in the South But she went all the way in school, graduating in 1961 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement with a master s degree from the Columbia School of Journalism After an interview, she became the first Black woman to become a reporter at the Washington Post She struggled initially, but persevered and became a valued member of the team Then, a year lat...

• 01 January 2017
Dorothy Butler Gilliam
• Hardcover
• 368 pages
• 1546083448
• Dorothy Butler Gilliam
• Trailblazer