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The first Black reporter at The Arizona Republic worked as a journalist for 30 years before moving to Phoenix. THREAD
He’d written for influential Black newspapers: The Pittsburgh Courier, Philadelphia’s Afro-American and the Los Angeles Sentinel. He covered poverty for The Republic the year LBJ declared a national war on poverty.
In Phoenix, he married Laura Dungee, whose uncle Roscoe Dunjee owned and edited The Black Dispatch in Oklahoma City, one of our nation’s most important newspapers. Laura's aunt, Drusilla Houston Dunjee, was a leading journalist and author who spent her last years in Phoenix.
This is journalism royalty. And yet, The Republic never ran an obituary for Richard E. Harris.
I wanted to know why. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2021/02/01/meet-richard-e-harris-first-black-reporter-our-newsroom/4317293001/
I hope you’ll join me on this journey. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0MrcBMJOaxnrL5Zk3YGFql
So many people helped tell this story. Melvin Juniel, Richard’s stepson, gave freely of his time including a Saturday afternoon when he posed with a photo of his mother and stepfather when @azcentral intern Meg Potter and I showed up – masked and distanced – outside his house.
To Rev. Warren Stewart, Sr., @Whstewartsr, who knew Laura Dungee Harris and led to me Melvin. Laura worshipped at Rev. Stewart's church, First Institutional Baptist, one of the most storied churches in Arizona.
To Rod Ambrose. As a youth leader with the Urban League, Richard mentored 100s of students in Phoenix, including Rod, who cofounded Phoenix’s Black Theatre Troupe and shared many wonderful memories of his life and relationship with Richard.
For more, read this great story by my colleague Elizabeth Montgomery, @EMontNews on the Phoenix Troupe’s 50th anniversary. https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/arts/2020/08/19/phoenixs-black-theatre-troupe-has-survived-50-years-heres-how/3386177001/
To colleague John D’Anna @azgreenday who pointed me to Art Gissendaner, another early Black journalist at The Republic.
To Jennifer Dokes, @JenniferDokes, the first Black journalist on The Republic’s editorial board. Jennifer’s powerful words on the state of our country today will stay with me forever.
To Matthew Delmont, @mattdelmont whose research into the Black press is a treasure for history and historians. To Russ Pulliam @rbpulliam who shared insights about his grandfather, Eugene C. Pulliam, the publisher who hired Richard Harris at The Republic.
To former Republic managing editor Bob Early, who opened a window for me into the culture of the Republic newsroom in 1964. Bob played a central role in The Republic’s coverage of the murder of another great Republic journalist, Don Bolles.
My colleague Richard Ruelas’ @ruelaswritings reporting on Bolles is without compare. https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/don-bolles/2019/06/01/after-don-bolles-attack-his-colleagues-worked-tell-story/3754803002/
Our podcast on the Don Bolles story is a must listen to anyone interested in Arizona history, politics or crime. https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/arizona-republic/2019/11/01/rediscovering-don-bolles-murdered-journalist-podcast/3775957002/
Finally, thanks to Republic audio guru Katie O’Connell @katieoc who walked this podcasting newbie out of the weeds and into the clearing, and to Valley 101 @valley101pod host Kaila White @kailawhite whose love of story shines through every episode.
If this work is important to you, I hope you’ll subscribe, http://azcentral.com/subscribe END THREAD
