Marvel Cooke
Encyclopedia
Marvel Cooke was an American journalist
, writer
, and civil rights
activist. She was the first African American
woman to work at a mainstream white-owned newspaper
.
Cooke was born in Mankato, Minnesota
and graduated from the University of Minnesota
. Settling in Harlem, New York, she worked as secretary for W. E. B. Du Bois, the editor of the NAACP magazine, The Crisis
.
She broke off her engagement to (later NAACP leader) Roy Wilkins
because she thought him too conservative
.
In the 1930s, Cooke helped create a local of The Newspaper Guild, participating in an eleven-week strike
at the Amsterdam News. During the strike, she joined the Communist Party.
After stints on the Black newspapers, Amsterdam News and the People's Voice, she was hired as a journalist by the New York paper, the Compass. The following year, she described her experiences working as a domestic in white homes under the title, "I Was a Slave
".
Cooke served as New York director of the Council of Arts, Sciences and Professions during the 1950s.
In the 1970s, she served as national treasurer of the Angela Davis
Defense Fund.
She died of leukemia in New York, New York in 2000.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist. She was the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
woman to work at a mainstream white-owned newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
.
Cooke was born in Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
and graduated from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. Settling in Harlem, New York, she worked as secretary for W. E. B. Du Bois, the editor of the NAACP magazine, The Crisis
The Crisis
The Crisis is the official magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , and was founded in 1910 by W. E. B. Du Bois , Oswald Garrison Villard, J. Max Barber, Charles Edward Russell, Kelly Miller, W.S. Braithwaite, M. D. Maclean.The original title of the journal was...
.
She broke off her engagement to (later NAACP leader) Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins was a prominent civil rights activist in the United States from the 1930s to the 1970s. Wilkins' most notable role was in his leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ....
because she thought him too conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
.
In the 1930s, Cooke helped create a local of The Newspaper Guild, participating in an eleven-week strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
at the Amsterdam News. During the strike, she joined the Communist Party.
After stints on the Black newspapers, Amsterdam News and the People's Voice, she was hired as a journalist by the New York paper, the Compass. The following year, she described her experiences working as a domestic in white homes under the title, "I Was a Slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
".
Cooke served as New York director of the Council of Arts, Sciences and Professions during the 1950s.
In the 1970s, she served as national treasurer of the Angela Davis
Angela Davis
Angela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis was most politically active during the late 1960s through the 1970s and was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party...
Defense Fund.
She died of leukemia in New York, New York in 2000.
External links
- http://www.aaregistry.com/detail.php?id=722