By Nava Atlas | On October 3, 2018 | Updated February 11, 2025 | Comments (0)
Alice Allison Dunnigan (April 27, 1906 –May 6, 1983), better known as Alice Dunnigan, was the first African American female correspondent to receive White House credentials.
She was also the first Black female member of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives press galleries. She covered Harry Truman’s 1948 presidential campaign, another first for an African American female journalist.
A true trailblazer, Alice Dunnigan was known for her tough, forthright questions. Her gutsy approach led her from journalism into a position that spanned the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On June 12, 2018 | Updated January 28, 2024 | Comments (2)
Dickey Chapelle (March 14, 1919 – November 4, 1965) was a pioneering American war correspondent and photojournalist who covered world conflicts from World War II to Vietnam.
Born Georgette Louise Meyer, she was fascinated by air travel throughout her childhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She renamed herself after the explorer Admiral Richard “Dickey” Bird.
Even as a child, Georgie Lou, as she was called, marched to her own drum. She was short and nearsighted, and always quirky and precocious. From a young age, she dreamed of flying planes. She was patriotic — always saluting the flag on her way to school. “I believed I could do anything I wanted to do, and I still believe it.” Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On March 27, 2018 | Updated February 10, 2025 | Comments (0)
Mary Ann Shadd Cary (October 9, 1823 – June 5, 1893) was best known for launching the abolitionist newspaper, The Provincial Freeman, in Windsor, Ontario. She had the distinction of being the first woman publisher of any race or background in Canada, and the first Black woman publisher in all of North America.
In her role as editor and writer for the Freeman, Mary Ann advocated for the Black community in Canada and beyond. She worked tirelessly to break down the dual barriers of race and gender.
An active participant in the women’s suffrage movement in the U.S., she also lectured widely on education and self-reliance. Later in life, she became an attorney. Read More→
By Aiyana Edmund | On January 31, 2018 | Updated November 8, 2024 | Comments (10)
The female journalists of the World War II era highlighted here reported on and documented from the field, and pushed gender-defined barriers.
They fought for what they believed in, which was the right to report and expose the folly and brutality of war.
These women contributed to the historic record with their groundbreaking work and bravery as journalists, photographers, and correspondents during the world war and in some cases beyond. Above right, Ruth Baldwin Cowan’s WW II press credentials. See more about her later in this post. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On November 4, 2017 | Updated February 12, 2025 | Comments (2)
The pioneering African American women journalists presented here were true trailblazers. It took an inordinate amount of perseverance for Black female journalists to break into white male-dominated fields of correspondence, investigative reporting, broadcasting, and newspaper publishing. At right, Ida B. Wells.
The power of language to document news and social issues often affects change. Each of these trailblazers from the past helped open new professional paths for women of all backgrounds to pursue.
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