Lerone Bennett Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Bennett in his office at Johnson Publishing Company headquarters, 1973. Photo by John H. White. | |
| Born | October 17, 1928 Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | February 14, 2018 (aged 89) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1949–2018 |
| Known for | Before the Mayflower (1962) Forced into Glory (2000) |
| Spouse |
Gloria Sylvester
(m. 1956; died 2009) |
| Children | 4 |
Lerone Bennett Jr. (October 17, 1928 – February 14, 2018) was an African-American scholar, author and social historian who analyzed race relations in the United States. His works included Before the Mayflower (1962) and Forced into Glory (2000), a book about U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
Born and raised in Mississippi, Bennett graduated from Morehouse College. He served in the Korean War and began a career in journalism at the Atlanta Daily World before being recruited by Johnson Publishing Company to work for JET magazine. Later, Bennett was the long-time executive editor of Ebony magazine. He was associated with the publication for more than 50 years. Bennett also served as a visiting professor of history at Northwestern University.