Tony Brown (journalist)
Tony Brown | |
|---|---|
 Brown in 1981 | |
| Born | William Anthony Brown April 11, 1933 |
| Died | June 17, 2026 (aged 93) Newport News, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupations | Journalist, College Dean - Hampton University, President/CEO - Tony Brown Productions, academian, comedian, businessman |
| Website | tonybrownsjournal |
William Anthony Brown[1] (April 11, 1933 – June 17, 2026) was an American journalist, academic and businessman. He is best known as the commentator of the long-running syndicated television show Tony Brown's Journal.[2]
Early life
Brown was born April 11, 1933, to Royal Brown and Catherine Davis Brown in Charleston, West Virginia. He attended the public schools where he excelled in academics, joined the track team, and performed in various school plays. His experience of segregation and poverty as a child later fueled his activism and view on the U.S. government as an adult.[3]
Personal life and death
Brown joined the Republican Party in 1990, saying he supported its "basic concept of market economy and self-help", which he contrasted with the Democrats' "philosophy of dependence on government".[4] He died at his home in Newport News, Virginia, on June 17, 2026, at the age of 93.[5]
Accomplishments
- 1953–1955, Brown served in the U.S. Army
- 1959, he received a BA degree in sociology from Wayne State University.
- 1961, he received an MA degree in Psychiatric Social Work from Wayne State University. He was a former faculty member at Central Washington University and Federal City College.
- 1962, he became a drama critic for the Detroit Courier
- In 1971, he became executive producer (and sometime host) of the monthly TV program Black Journal.
- 1972, he became the founding dean of Howard University's School of Communication.
- In 1977, Black Journal was renamed Tony Brown's Journal.
- In 1988, Brown wrote, produced, and directed the film The White Girl, which dramatized an African American student's struggle with cocaine addiction.[6]
- 1998, he wrote Empower The People: A 7-Step plan to Overthrow the Conspiracy that is Stealing Your Money and Freedom
- 2002, he was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Silver Circle.
- 2004, he became the dean of Hampton University's Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications. He held the position until 2009, when he stepped down.
Bibliography
- 1995: Black Lies, White Lies: The Truth According to Tony Brown. 1997 reprint ISBN 9780688132705
- 1999: Empower the People: Overthrow The Conspiracy That Is Stealing Your Money And Freedom. ISBN 9780688157623
- 2004: What Mama Taught Me: The Seven Core Values of Life. ISBN 9780060188696
See also
References
- ↑ Berger, Joseph (June 27, 2026). "Tony Brown, Host of Public Affairs Show Aimed at Black Audiences, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Tony Brown's Journal". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Tony Brown". Britannica. August 20, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- ↑ "Producer Tony Brown Joins Republican Party". Jet. August 12, 1991. p. 39. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ↑ Prince, Richard (June 26, 2026). "Tony Brown, Black-Media Legend, Dies at 93". journal-isms.com. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
- ↑ James, Caryn (February 11, 1990). "The White Girl (1990): a Treatise against Drug Abuse". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
External links
- 1933 births
- 2026 deaths
- 20th-century African-American writers
- 21st-century African-American businesspeople
- 21st-century African-American writers
- 21st-century American businesspeople
- African-American journalists
- Hampton University faculty
- Howard University faculty
- Writers from Charleston, West Virginia
- University of the District of Columbia faculty
- Wayne State University alumni
- 20th-century American journalists
- 20th-century American non-fiction writers
- 20th-century American male journalists
- 20th-century American male non-fiction writers
- 21st-century American journalists
- 21st-century American non-fiction writers
- 21st-century American male non-fiction writers
- 21st-century American male journalists
- Journalists from West Virginia
- Businesspeople from Charleston, West Virginia