GlossMagazineOnline salutes the definitive accomplishments and grandeur of the African American woman. In this next installment, we salute two powerful trailblazing figures in the world of media and journalism – Ethel L. Payne and Soledad O’Brien.
Who was she? Ethel Lois Payne. 
Nickname: “The First Lady of Black Press”
Pedigree: Lindblom High School, Crane Jr. College, Garrett Institute, and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern in Evanston Illinois.
Ethel L. Payne was an unsung hero. She used her journalistic prowess to be a voice for equality and remained focused on civil rights, international issues and politics throughout her career. Payne was involved in covering and reporting some of the most profound events during the civil rights movement including the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1956 and the 1963 March on Washington. She was unafraid to tackle any story from any angle especially where injustices were concerned and garnered accolades for her journalistic fortitude.
Payne, a Chicago native and granddaughter of slaves, initially wanted to practice civil rights law. She took her fervor for civic affairs and found a new passion in journalism. She was offered a job with the Chicago Defender after a Chicago Defender reporter discovered journals she had kept while residing in Tokyo as director of a Tokyo army club. She told the stories of black troops stationed in Japan. In 1954 Payne became the chief of the Chicago Defender’s Washington Bureau.
Met with jealousy from other black journalists for her success, Payne continued in going forth as a conduit for the black community. She believed that blacks were not represented correctly in the press. Essence McDowell, a journalism student at DePaul University is following suit in Payne’s philosophy. “There is a clear misrepresentation of blacks in the news still today. There is a clear cut biased and disparity that’s why I want to be a journalist to change the way society views the African American community,” McDowell said.
Payne was faced with adversity, but went on to make history. In 1972 she became the first African American radio and television commentator for CBS. She won countless awards including the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, the Ida B. Wells Distinguished Journalism Chair from Fisk University in 1973, the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club ( named “Woman of Action for achievement in Journalism in 1980), Johnson’s Publishing Company (Gertrude Johnson-Williams award 1982), and a host of other awards. Ethel L. Payne was a true pioneer in media. She faced the problems plaguing the black community with unwavering determination. Through her exemplary career and legacy we have been introduced to the next generation of black women journalists.
Who is she? Soledad O’Brien.
Birth Name: Maria de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien 
Pedigree: Harvard University
CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien is intelligent, quick witted, and can always be counted on to deliver a new perspective on hard hitting issues. O’Brien comes from a family who stressed the importance of education. Her mother was a French and English teacher. Her father was a mechanical engineering professor. O’Brien is the fifth of six children who all graduated from Harvard University. Being a woman of Irish Australian and Afro-Cuban descent and a member of both the National Association of Black Journalist and the National Association of Hispanic Journalist, she understands the importance of gathering and presenting news to people of all backgrounds in a unified way.
O’Brien has covered international and national tragedies as well as everyday issues affecting everyday people to a diverse audience. Like Ethel L. Payne, O’Brien has focused a lot on the African American community. She was in the trenches during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and voiced her concerns about the handling of this disaster with hard-nosed journalistic objectivity. She has also gained critical acclaim for her “Black in American” series. She worked tirelessly to present the state of black America in a multi-part series highlighting the life of Martin Luther King Jr. as well as politics, education, racism and employment.
O’Brien has been able to balance family and her personal obligation to the community. The 42-year-old created The Soledad O’Brien Raymond Foundation. The foundation focuses on providing educational and financial opportunities to those who are struggling on their own to do so. She made her way through various anchor positions with MSNBC and Weekend Today. She made contributions to the Today’s Show and NBC Nightly News. She has received several awards including the NAACP President’s award and the Goodermote Humanitarian Award for her reporting on Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Tsunami. In 2008 she was given an award created in her name from the Morehouse School of Medicine. She was the first recipient of the Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award.
Soledad O’Brien has seemingly taken note from Ethel L. Payne. She is reporting global issues, but not forgetting to focus on urban development in minority communities. She has created a platform to give voice to those who need to be heard. Gloss Magazine recognizes both of these women as true media pathfinders.
