JUNE 20, 1960

Credit: Wikipedia

Renowned singer and actor Harry Belafonte was awarded an Emmy Award for his television special, Tonight with Harry Belafonte. Mr. Belafonte was the first Black American to win the prestigious industry award. He had already won a Tony Award in 1954 as a supporting actor in John Murray Anderson’s Almanac. He decided to forego making a fortune, saying, “I chose to be a civil rights warrior instead.” He died in 2023 of congestive heart failure at age 96.

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The stories of investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell have helped put four Klansmen and a serial killer behind bars. His stories have also helped free two people from death row, exposed injustices and corruption, prompting investigations and reforms as well as the firings of boards and officials. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a longtime member of Investigative Reporters & Editors, and a winner of more than 30 other national awards, including a $500,000 MacArthur “genius” grant. After working for three decades for the statewide Clarion-Ledger, Mitchell left in 2019 and founded the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting.