John Henry McCray

John Henry McCray (1910–1987) was an African American journalist, newspaper publisher, politician, civil rights activist, and college academic administrator.

John Henry McCray
Born(1910-08-25)August 25, 1910[1]
Youngstown, Florida, U.S.[1]
DiedSeptember 15, 1987(1987-09-15) (aged 77)[1]
Sylacauga, Alabama, U.S.[1]
Burial placeOak Hill Cemetery, Talladega, Alabama, U.S.[1]
Alma materTalladega College[1]
Known forjournalism, politician, newspaper publisher, newspaper editor, civil rights activist, college academic administrator

He worked at some of the country's most prominent Black newspapers including the Lighthouse and Informer newspaper of South Carolina (from 1941 to 1954); the Charleston Messenger; the Pittsburgh Courier as the Carolina editor (from 1960 to 1962); the Baltimore Afro-American (from 1954 to 1960); The Chicago Defender (from 1962 to 1963); and the Atlanta Daily World (from February to September 1964).[2] McCray was a co-founder of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) of South Carolina.[1]

Early life and education

John Henry McCray was born on August 25, 1910, in Youngstown, Florida, to parents Rachel Rebecca Montgomery and Donald Carlos McCray.[1] He grew up in Lincolnville, near Charleston.[1]

He attended high school at Avery Institute (or Avery Normal Institute) in Charleston, where he was valedictorian.[1][3] He earned his B.S. degree in chemistry in 1935 at Talladega College.[1][4]

Career

He started his career at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, the largest Black-owned life insurance company.[1] From 1935 to 1938, he was working as a city editor of the Charleston Messenger.[1] From 1939 to 1941, he stated his own newspaper Charleston Lighthouse (later known as Carolina Lighthouse), followed by taking over Reverend E. A. Parker's People's Informer.[1]

On December 7, 1941, McCray published the first edition of the Black weekly newspaper, Lighthouse and Informer.[1] The Lighthouse and Informer, was a progressive publication which called for racial equality, and rejected any racial accommodation, and incrementalism.[5] The articles covered many aspect of Black life and columns.[6] The last publication of the Lighthouse and Informer was June 12, 1954.

In 1944, he was cofounder of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) of South Carolina.[1] The PDP was the first Black Democratic Party in the Southern United States.[1]

In September 1964, McCray become director of public relations at his alma mater, Talladega College, where he eventually retired from in 1981, then as the director of recruitment and admissions.[1][4]

Death and legacy

McCray died on September 15, 1987, in Sylacauga, Alabama.[1]

The library at the University of South Carolina holds the John Henry McCray Papers.[7] McCray is part of a mural, The Pursuit of Opportunity: Celebrating African American Business, by artist Ija Charles, located at 1401 Main Street in Columbia, South Carolina.[8] Additionally there is a historical marker located in Columbia, dedicated to McCray and the Lighthouse and Informer.[9]

McCray is included in Sid Bedingfield's book, Newspaper Wars: Civil Rights and White Resistance in South Carolina, 1935–1965 (published in 2017).[10][11]

In 2020, the National Park Service gave a three-year grant to Allen University located in Columbia to study McCray.[5]

References
  1. Frazier, Herb (June 8, 2016). "McCray, John Henry". South Carolina Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "McCray, John Henry, 1910–1987". The Civil Rights Digital Library, Digital Library of Georgia. Retrieved July 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "Photo Asset: John H. McCray (1910–1987)". Knowitall.org. Retrieved July 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "John Henry McCray Papers, 1929–1989 – Digital Collections". South Caroliniana Library. Retrieved July 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. Parker, Adam (September 30, 2020). "A community's voice: Allen University students to research role of John McCray, Black press". Post and Courier. Retrieved July 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. Patterson, Lezlie (April 30, 2017). "New mobile guide highlights 'hidden gems' of SC's African-American history". The State.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. Binette, Peggy (October 13, 2016). "Pulitzer Prize winner to commemorate W.E.B. Du Bois' historic SC address". University of South Carolina. Retrieved July 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. Waldrop, Melinda (May 13, 2021). "Mural captures moment of Columbia history". Columbia Regional Business Report. Retrieved July 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "John H McCray historical marker, 2019". The Green Book of South Carolina. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  10. Cotterell, Bill (August 31, 2017). "S. C. Newspapers Took Sides In The Biggest Story". Newspapers.com. Tallahassee Democrat. p. A5. Retrieved July 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. Bender, Jay (January 21, 2018). "'Newspaper Wars' An Eye Opening Read". Newspapers.com. The Index-Journal. p. 19. Retrieved July 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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