Yvonne Latty
Encyclopedia
Yvonne Latty is an American journalist, author and professor at New York University
’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She has traveled the country to speak on subjects including race to writing, and is also a Leeway Foundation Fellow.
Latty teaches in the Reporting The Nation graduate program at NYU and is the author of two books: "We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans From World War II to the War in Iraq" (Harper Collins/Amistad, 2004) and "In Conflict: Iraq War Veterans Speak Out On Duty, Loss and the Fight To Stay Alive" (Polipoint Press, 2006). "In Conflict" was later developed into an award-winning play.
, watching stories unfold on the streets below. What she saw and heard sparked her initial interest in telling stories — especially those of the unheard urban poor.
She attended New York University
and received a BFA in film–television. After spending a few years as a photographer, she decided to become a writer. Latty received a master’s degree in journalism at NYU, and then worked for 13 years as a reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News
. There, she was an award-winning journalist specializing in urban issues. Her work has also been featured in USA Today
, the Chicago Sun-Times
, The Washington Post
, CNN
, Newsweek
, NPR
, Fox News, The Philadelphia Inquirer
, Detroit Free Press
, and the Miami Herald.
After 18 years as a newspaper reporter, Latty began teaching in NYU’s journalism program. There, she founded Pavement Pieces, a student-produced news website focused on the stories of New York City. In 2007, Pavement Pieces received an Excellence in Student Journalism Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
for a package on New York’s LGBT community.
In addition to heading the graduate journalism programs for Reporting New York/Reporting the Nation, she is the director of the institute’s Urban Journalism Workshop, an intensive multimedia program connecting city high school students to journalism.
She also appeared in two documentaries, the Emmy award-winning A Distant Shore: African Americans of D-Day
and "Honor Deferred", a History Channel documentary about African Americans serving in World War II.
in Philadelphia.
"In Conflict" also features first-hand accounts of American military, with 25 Iraq War veterans from various backgrounds. Each veteran explained in their own words what they experienced during the war and the physical and mental damage they suffered afterward. Once the book was published, Temple University
Artistic Director Douglas Wager offered to turn it into a play. "In Conflict" appeared Off-Broadway at the Barrow Street Theatre
in 2008 and enjoyed a warm reception from critics. The play also won the Fringe First award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
. She was misquoted by Time Magazine, claiming she said that "blacks had the most dangerous job in Iwo Jima." Her work attracted the attention of director Spike Lee
, who asked her to speak on the subject over the summer in advance of his own World War II film, "Miracle at St. Anna."
"In Conflict" inspired a Connecticut high school teacher to develop a play based on the book. Her drama students produced the play, titled "Voices in Conflict", as a class project. But the school's principal deemed the play too controversial and all performances were canceled. This story was picked up by The New York Times
, and the students received widespread support, including from soldiers serving in Iraq. Several New York theaters then offered to present public performances of the work.
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She has traveled the country to speak on subjects including race to writing, and is also a Leeway Foundation Fellow.
Latty teaches in the Reporting The Nation graduate program at NYU and is the author of two books: "We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans From World War II to the War in Iraq" (Harper Collins/Amistad, 2004) and "In Conflict: Iraq War Veterans Speak Out On Duty, Loss and the Fight To Stay Alive" (Polipoint Press, 2006). "In Conflict" was later developed into an award-winning play.
Personal and professional life
Latty was born to Albert and Ramona Latty. She and her older sister, Margie, grew up in a tenement in New York City’s South Harlem neighborhood, which was then overrun by drugs and poverty. The daughter of a Jamaican father and Dominican mother, Latty spent a lot of time on her fire escapeFire escape
A fire escape is a special kind of emergency exit, usually mounted to the outside of a building or occasionally inside but separate from the main areas of the building. It provides a method of escape in the event of a fire or other emergency that makes the stairwells inside a building inaccessible...
, watching stories unfold on the streets below. What she saw and heard sparked her initial interest in telling stories — especially those of the unheard urban poor.
She attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and received a BFA in film–television. After spending a few years as a photographer, she decided to become a writer. Latty received a master’s degree in journalism at NYU, and then worked for 13 years as a reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
. There, she was an award-winning journalist specializing in urban issues. Her work has also been featured in USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, Fox News, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
, and the Miami Herald.
After 18 years as a newspaper reporter, Latty began teaching in NYU’s journalism program. There, she founded Pavement Pieces, a student-produced news website focused on the stories of New York City. In 2007, Pavement Pieces received an Excellence in Student Journalism Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association is an American professional association dedicated to unbiased coverage of gay/lesbian issues in the media...
for a package on New York’s LGBT community.
In addition to heading the graduate journalism programs for Reporting New York/Reporting the Nation, she is the director of the institute’s Urban Journalism Workshop, an intensive multimedia program connecting city high school students to journalism.
She also appeared in two documentaries, the Emmy award-winning A Distant Shore: African Americans of D-Day
A Distant Shore: African Americans of D-Day
A Distant Shore: African Americans of D-Day is a television documentary program that was produced for The History Channel by Flight 33 Productions in 2007. Executive Producers were Douglas Cohen , Louis Tarantino and Dolores Gavin . The program was written by Douglas Cohen and produced by Samuel K...
and "Honor Deferred", a History Channel documentary about African Americans serving in World War II.
Books
Latty’s first book, "We Were There," explores the stories of 28 African-American veterans who served in five wars: World War II, The Korean War, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Latty said it was inspired by hearing her father’s own stories of serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. The book eventually became an exhibit at the National Constitution CenterNational Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center is an organization that seeks to expand awareness and understanding of the United States Constitution and operates a museum to advance those purposes....
in Philadelphia.
"In Conflict" also features first-hand accounts of American military, with 25 Iraq War veterans from various backgrounds. Each veteran explained in their own words what they experienced during the war and the physical and mental damage they suffered afterward. Once the book was published, Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
Artistic Director Douglas Wager offered to turn it into a play. "In Conflict" appeared Off-Broadway at the Barrow Street Theatre
Barrow Street Theatre
Barrow Street Theatre is an Off Broadway theatre venue located in New York City's historic Greenwich House. Previously home to Drama Dept. the space was leased to Barrow Street Theatre in 2003 and has been home to long-running Off-Broadway hits, Bug by Tracy Letts and Orson's Shadow by Austin...
in 2008 and enjoyed a warm reception from critics. The play also won the Fringe First award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
Controversies
In 2006, Latty wrote an USA Today criticizing the lack of African-American Marines in Clint Eastwood’s films about Iwo JimaIwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. She was misquoted by Time Magazine, claiming she said that "blacks had the most dangerous job in Iwo Jima." Her work attracted the attention of director Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
, who asked her to speak on the subject over the summer in advance of his own World War II film, "Miracle at St. Anna."
"In Conflict" inspired a Connecticut high school teacher to develop a play based on the book. Her drama students produced the play, titled "Voices in Conflict", as a class project. But the school's principal deemed the play too controversial and all performances were canceled. This story was picked up by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and the students received widespread support, including from soldiers serving in Iraq. Several New York theaters then offered to present public performances of the work.