Era Bell Thompson, Journalist

“I too, have a story to tell” wrote female journalist & author Era Bell Thompson (born on August 10, 1904) to Stanley Pargellis, newbury librarian in 1944. The former international editor of Ebony Magazine, she worked for Ebony Magazine & Johnson Publishing for 30 years. She grew up in North Dakota where her family was the only Black family in town & attended University of North Dakota, but dropped out when her father passed away. She returned to college, receiving a BA from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa in journalism ''not knowing Black journalists couldn't get jobs”. She indeed couldn’t find a journalist job at first, working housekeeping & clerical jobs. But with a fellowship from Newbury Library, she was able to write her autobiography 'American Daughter' published in 1946. She also persisted in writing freelance pieces and eventually was able to work for Ebony magazine, where she was instrumental in guiding its vision for 30+ years. Executive editor of the magazine stated ''I worked with her for 30 years -she was an advocate of women's lib long before it became popular,” Era Bell Thompson went on to write 'Africa Land of My Fathers' based on her travels in Africa for Ebony.