Missing Pages: Black Journalists of Modern America: An Oral History [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Wallace Terry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2007

An oral history of modern American journalism by trailblazing black journalists such as Ed Bradley, Max Robinson, and Karen Dewitt.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Lamenting histories of journalism that omit the contributions of black reporters, Terry, a well-regarded journalist and author of Bloods: Black Veterans of the Vietnam War (1985), offers a look at the unacknowledged work of pioneering black reporters. Nineteen black journalists recall the particular perspectives they brought to coverage of events from World War II, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and civil war in Africa, covering aspects of race that fall under the radar of white reporters. Among the contributors: Ethel Payne, who, as a service-club hostess in Tokyo, chronicled the failure of General MacArthur to desegregate the armed services despite President Truman's orders; Max Robinson, who faced the vicissitudes of being the first black news anchor, under deadline pressure and nightly scrutiny of white viewers; Leon Dash, who engaged in discussions with guerrillas in Angola about issues of race in America; and Ed Bradley, who joined the venerable staff of 60 Minutes but maintained his own inimitable style. Terry, who died in 2003, here fills in gaps in the history of modern American journalism. Bush, Vanessa
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Missing Pages is a deeply moving, affecting book, truly a bright and shining light. -- Walter Anderson, Parade

A treasure trove of history. -- Pulitzer Prize winner Cynthia Tucker, Columbia Journalism Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (May 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786719931
• ASIN: B001G8WH2O
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb oral history, May 17, 2007

By 

Jack White "Black Dog DC" (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Missing Pages: Black Journalists of Modern America: An Oral History (Paperback)

The late Wallace Terry, author of Bloods, the outstanding oral history of black soldiers during the Vietnam War, was working at the time of his death on this equally outstanding oral history of heroic black journalists during some of the most tumultuous times in American history. The stories are truly eye-opening, reminding us of the courage it takes to speak truth to power and of how far America has come because individual blacks had that kind of courage. But the book is about more than journalism, it's about recent history and the struggle to bring this country face to face with its failure to live up to its ideals of justice and freedom. Included, for example, is James Hicks' account of covering the Emmett Till trial in Mississippi, where the sheriff greeted Hicks and his fellow black reporters with a cheerful "how are you nigger doing?" Or Leon Dash's swashbuckling through Angola with Jonas Savimbi's guerrillas. Missing Pages is a must read for anyone with an interest in journalism, public affairs and history.

5.0 out of 5 stars Missing Pages, September 30, 2007

By 

Carlos C. Campbell (Reston, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Missing Pages: Black Journalists of Modern America: An Oral History (Paperback)

Missing Pages

The author's voice of Missing Pages has an energy powered by truth which resonates beyond race. Missing Pages enhances the legacy of Wallace Terry, the author of the best selling Bloods (circa 1985) who distinguished himself as a journalist with Time magazine, the Washington Post and Parade magazine. Missing Pages was skillfully completed by Janice Terry, the author's widow and Zalin Grant, his fellow combat journalist that he served with in Vietnam.

Missing Pages rips the mask off of the Fourth Estate which historically abandoned its duty to the people by printing with a discernable bias. As it were, black journalist were either denied positions with the mainstream press or relegated to black on black assignments. During and subsequent to the heyday of the Civil Rights movement things began to change, but on a very small scale.

While attempts were made to restrict assignments of black journalists, their courage, perseverance and genius trumped racism and indifference.

Missing Pages is long overdue. It provides a unique insight into America from those who, to cite the biblical injunction of Isaiah 48:10 were "Not molded in silver but in the furnace of affliction."

The challenge of writing about race requires courage, candor, competence, civility and compassion. One has to deal with injustice, humiliation and other wrongs which often lurk in the subconscious of the objectified. Wallace Terry sets the standard for excellence in his interviews with names familiar to many, Carl Rowan, Max Robinson, Bernard Shaw, Carole Simpson, Chuck Stone, Ed Bradley and others.

Those interviewed such as Chuck Stone, who said the reason there were not more black columnists with white newspapers, is because white America feared black authority. Missing pages also contains the experience of good Samaritans, such as Walter Cronkite, who stopped to help somebody.

Missing Pages is inspirational because is reveals how individuals asserted themselves through persistence, courage, dedication and professional excellence.

Carlos Cardozo Campbell
Reston, VA

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty in the plain-spoken storytelling, September 10, 2007

By 

Wayne Dawkins "NABJ biographer" (Newport News, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Missing Pages: Black Journalists of Modern America: An Oral History (Paperback)

The beauty of "Missing Pages" is the 20 civil rights-era African American journalists just talk to interviewer Wallace Terry and capsulize their career stories in a powerful anecdote or two.

I realized that these journalist-heroes were courageous and bold, but gosh, I appreciated them much more when I got more details from them about their challenges.

Like Earl Caldwell pointing out that his landmark reporter-source confidentiality case should not have been merged with two related cases. What distinguished Caldwell's case was he was not involved in illegal activities.

Max Robinson's guts were apparent when the Richmond, Va. native tried out in 1959 for an anchor job along with 30 white men. The competition laughed -- this was the "massive resistance" period in Va. -- yet Robinson won a spot because of his undeniable talent.

I knew about Ethel Payne upsetting President Eisenhower for having the nerve to challenge the commander-in-chief about signing a desegregation order, but I did not know depths of sexism she had to endure within the D.C. press corps.

All of the profiles challenge me to be a better journalist, educator and citizen. I hope "Missing Pages" inspires many more readers.