Harry Ashmore (1916-1998)

Harry Ashmore was born in Greenville, South Carolina. In spite of being raised in a part of the country very loyal to segregation, Ashmore spent more than fifty years of his life championing integration. Ashmore is today celebrated for his insightful journalism, publishing editorials in newspapers such as The Arkansas Gazette, over which he gained leadership in 1947, and the Charlotte News. Through his writing, Ashmore advanced his belief that the nation was sliding away from its democratic, founding principles. After leaving The Arkansas Gazette, Ashmore continued writing, publishing eleven books throughout the course of his life. One of his most recent titles, Civil Rights and Wrongs was published in 1994. Ashmore pursued work with Democratic politicians, including former presidents and presidential nominees. He also headed a West coast think tank organization. He died in 1998 at his home in Santa Barbara, California due to a debilitating stroke.

Civil Rights Era

Ashmore's contribution to the Civil Rights Movement is best summarized in his reporting on the Little Rock School Crisis of 1957. Ashmore and The Arkansas Gazette each received a Pulitzer Prize for the advancement of defiant views on integration. This was a huge, and unprecedented moment in American history. He openly espoused integration, leading the way for writers and civilians alike to start thinking differently about the state of justice in the United States.

Bibliography

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