Carl T. Rowan
Carl T. Rowan was a prominent African American journalist and public servant who played a significant role in breaking racial barriers in the United States. Born during the Great Depression in McMinnville, Tennessee, he faced a challenging childhood without basic amenities. Despite these hardships, Rowan excelled academically, becoming valedictorian of his high school class and later attending Tennessee A&I College. His commitment to serving his country during World War II led him to Naval Officers Training, where he became one of the first black officers.
Rowan's journalism career took off in the 1950s, making him one of the few black reporters of his time to cover major national issues, including the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. He gained recognition as "America's most visible black journalist" through his work in print, radio, and television, addressing civil rights and diplomatic matters. His influence extended to government service as he served under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, where he directed the United States Information Agency and created Project Excellence, a scholarship initiative for African American students. Rowan’s legacy is marked by his dedication to civil rights and mentorship of future generations.
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Subject Terms
Carl T. Rowan
- Born: August 25, 1925
- Birthplace: Ravenscroft, Tennessee
- Died: September 23, 2000
- Place of death: Washington, D.C.
Identification African American commentator and syndicated columnist
Carl Rowan began his career—later to include roles as foreign diplomat and director of the United States Information Agency—as a journalist. His written work on everything from school desegregation to foreign affairs made him the most visible black journalist during the 1950’s and helped break racial barriers in journalism.
Once a poor boy reared during the Great Depression in McMinnville, Tennessee, Carl Rowan described his early years as a time without a radio, running water, electricity, or a telephone, and only a very small amount of money. However, he managed to rise above his impoverished childhood, and in 1942, he was valedictorian and president of his class at Bernard High School. That same year he enrolled at Tennessee A&I College, his state’s largest black college. After two years, he decided to join the World War II effort. He passed a competitive examination, allowing him to become one of the first black personnel in Naval Officers Training. Soon, Rowan began playing the role that he would perfect during his lifetime—breaking racial barriers.
Rowan received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota and in 1950, became a reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune. In 1954, he returned to the South to report on the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Educationdecision requiring school desegregation. As he later noted in his autobiography, there were less than five black journalists during the early 1950’s “who could claim to be general assignment reporters and few were writing anything serious about the American social, political or economic scene.” His coverage of civil rights, on television, on his radio commentaries, and in his syndicated newspaper column, earned him the title “America’s most visible black journalist.” His coverage of diplomatic events and desegregation led him to publish a series of books during the decade, including South of Freedom (1952), The Pitiful and the Proud (1956), and Go South to Sorrow (1957).
Impact
Carl Rowan overcame racial barriers during his lifetime and through his involvement with young African American students and journalism, he passed the torch to a new generation of activists. He broke racial barriers as a journalist, as a deputy secretary of state, and as ambassador to Finland during the John F. Kennedy administration. President Lyndon B. Johnson named him director of the United States Information Agency. According to those closest to him, one of Rowan’s greatest achievements was his creation of Project Excellence, a scholarship program designed to reward black secondary school students.
Bibliography
Meacham, Jon, ed. Voices in Our Blood: America’s Best on the Civil Rights Movement. New York: Random House, 2001. Includes an essay written by Rowan titled “Parting the Waters: America in the King Years,” which gives a good contemporary perspective on race issues during the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Rowan, Carl. Breaking Barriers. Boston: Little, Brown, 1991. A memoir of Rowan’s life, career, and encounters with racism.