Eye on the struggle

Ethel Lois Payne was a pioneering journalist who worked in an industry dominated by white men. She became the first female African American radio and television commentator on a national network, working for CBS. She was heavily involved in the push for African American civil rights, covering events such as the Montgomery bus boycott, the desegregation of Alabama, and the integration of Little Rock's schools. Her reporting on legislative and judicial civil rights enlightened and motivated black readers and influenced those in politics who were advocating for the end of African American segregation.