Columbia Center for Oral History Portal > Oral history interview with Harold L. Keith, 1971.Biographical NoteHarold Leroy Keith was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Army and received a BA and MA from the University of Pittsburgh. In 1946, he joined the staff of the Pittsburgh Courier, where he wrote about the civil rights movement, organized labor, and African politics. In 1958, he became editor of the newspaper, a position he held until 1963. Keith subsequently entered government service and worked for the Agency for International Development, the Bureau for African Affairs, the Bureau for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He retired in 1982 and died in 2002.
Scope and ContentsIn his 1971 interview with Henry La Brie III, Keith discusses his education, service in the United States Army, and introduction to newspaper work through his father. Other topics of discussion include: the successes and failures of the Courier under the leadership of William Beverly Carter, Jr.; the controversial editorials of George Schuyler; the limitations of the black press because of its lack of capital; labor organizations founded in Pittsburgh; and how black papers have contributed to progress in race relations in America.
Subjects | |
