Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to Redwood Community Radio's special series celebrating Women's History Month. Throughout history, women have led, innovated and broken barriers in every field, often against the odds. Let's dive into their stories and celebrate their achievements.
[00:00:20] Speaker B: In the bustling heart of Chicago's south side. 1911, a young girl named Ethel Lois Payne was born into a world that offered her few opportunities but countless stories waiting to be told.
Ethel's father, a Pullman porter, and her mother, a former Latin teacher, instilled in her a love for words and a passion for justice. Despite racial barriers that kept her from joining her high school newspaper and attending law school, Ethel's determination never wavered.
In 1948, Ethel found herself in Tokyo, working as a service club hostess for the U.S. army. There she began documenting the experience of black soldiers stationed overseas. Her vivid accounts caught the attention of the Chicago Defender, a leading African American newspaper marking the start of her journalism career.
By 1953, Ethel had become the Chicago Defenders Washington correspondent, one of the few African American women in the White House press corps. And she made waves fast. In a press conference, she directly challenged President Dwight D. Eisenhower on his reluctance to support desegregation. With the cameras rolling, she asked why he was avoiding introducing federal civil rights legislation. Eisenhower, visibly irritated, dismissed her concerns, saying, I'm not going to get into that fight.
But Ethel Payne didn't back down. She continued pressing the administration on civil rights, forcing issues like school desegregation into the national conversation. Her fearless questioning put her at odds with the White House, but it also earned her the respect of civil rights leaders and readers who relied on her reporting to expose the realities of racial injustice.
Ethel's reporting wasn't confined to the press room. She covered the Montgomery bus boycott, the desegregation of the University of Alabama, and even traveled internationally to report on global movements from for justice. In 1972, Ethel became the first African American woman to serve as a radio and television commentator for a national network, cbs. Her insightful commentary continued to inform and inspire, solidifying her legacy as the first lady of the black press.
Ethel Payne's unwavering commitment to truth and justice not only paved the way for future generations of journalists, but also also ensured that the stories of the marginalized were brought to light. This Women's History Month, we honor her remarkable contributions in the impact she left on journalism and civil rights. For Cayman News, I'm Lisa Music.
It is your duty to destroy or abolish that government.
[00:03:22] Speaker A: These women's stories remind us that courage, resilience and vision can transform the world, Keep celebrating, keep learning, and keep lifting each other up because history is still being written.
