HarlemLIVE

Born and raised in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on January 25, 1916, with a childhood dream career to become a cotton picker arose one of the worlds most prominent and influential women of journalism. Ms. Evelyn Cunningham has been making strides and breaking down doors in the media industry for over 50 years. She showed great dedication covering the secret crimes of the segregated south.

It’s a history that seems far away from her present-day Harlem apartment with its shiny hardwood floors, abstract art, and mounds of books. “Books influence you the most, they are a way of communication,” she explains with a smile.

Reading grabbed her attention as a young girl. Her mother and father read newspapers and discussed politics at home. Cunningham says she was too young to understand what they were talking about, and it made her curious. She discovered the joy of being able to read and write and comprehend newspapers, something that made her different from the other kids in school. Her desire for learning and reading allowed for her to become mature before she knew what maturity was. She wanted to be aware and share with the world what she knew.

Living in the south, her parents wanted her to know the reality of this world. “I wasn’t raised to be a super-child,” says Ms. Cunningham. Her parents did not want her to get the illusion of anything appearing to be easy. They told her how rich they were, how poor they were and kept away from fairy tale stories. It was a way for her and her siblings to believe in real life.

Cunningham’s parents were motivated, and they wanted a better life for their children. They thought moving to New York would surround them with vibrant, progressive black people who were doing great things. And indeed, New York gave Cunningham the encouragement and education she needed to become a reporter.

 

She started her career at the Pittsburgh Courier in the 1940's and continued until 1962. At that time, the Pittsburgh Courier was considered to be the most essential African-American newspaper. Its writers provided blacks with information on what was occurring in and outside of the community. It was a support system for many African-Americans and encouraged many to achieve more. Ms. Cunningham specialized in writing about the Civil Rights Movement. She discussed topics such as school desegregation in the south, the murders and lynching of African-Americans including those who exercised their right to vote. Many great leaders have come inton her life, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Duke Ellington. “I was just swept away by his grace,” she said of Duke Ellington.

Ms. Cunningham has traveled the world while covering many stories and opening doors for women, being a founder of The Coalition of 100 Black Women. “My favorite country to be in, as I could recall was America because 1. I can pronounce it and 2. It’s the only place I can remember now,” says Ms. Cunningham. Every other place she visited outside of the country “had rules”, too many for her to follow. While traveling she gained the knowledge of speaking and comprehending several languages and noticed and believes that people who speak a second language get treated better.

People who listened to her were ‘smart people’. “The glory in reporting is having people that trust you, you appreciate contact with people through media and it's all about weighing one point of view against another point of view” said Ms. Cunningham.

 

It seems Cunningham is still in awe of America’s first black president.  A plaque commemorating Barack Obama’s election sits on a small table in the living room. “A whole possibility that I never entertained,” she said, gazing at the president’s name.

As much progress as the country has made during Cunningham’s lifetime, she still sees room for improvement. She says that we should be open about the world we know and strive to get to know more of the news world. There are thousands of people who have never read a newspaper and it bothers her how many people don't read. I wish I could open up the world to some people,” Ms. Cunningham says passionately.

“Some people think too much is exposed - but it is so much to learn. So much knowledge is needed.”