Lutrelle Fleming "Lu" Palmer, Jr. (March 28, 1922 – September 12, 2004) was an American reporter, political activist, radio show host, and newspaper publisher in Chicago.

Biography

Palmer was born in Newport News, Virginia to Myrtle and Lutrelle Sr., a school principal. He had two sisters, who had careers in education. Palmer became a journalist after earning a degree from Virginia University in 1942, a masters from

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

in 1948, and his Ph.D. from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

in 1950. He served the next fifty years as a reporter, newspaper publisher and radio commentator for the black community. Palmer was a reporter for the

Chicago Defender ''The Chicago Defender'' is a Chicago-based online African-American newspaper. It was founded in 1905 by Robert S. Abbott and was once considered the "most important" newspaper of its kind. Abbott's newspaper reported and campaigned against Jim ...

, as well as a writer for newspapers including the

Chicago Daily News The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. History The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty ...

, and the Tri-State Defender as a columnist. He founded his own newspaper, Black X-Press Info. Often outspoken, he lost the sponsorship of his 13-year radio program. He was a supporter of

Harold Washington Harold Lee Washington (April 15, 1922 – November 25, 1987) was an American lawyer and politician who was the 51st mayor of Chicago. In April 1983, Washington became the first African American to be elected as the city’s mayor at the age of ...

, who with Palmer's help became the first African American

mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the Chief executive officer, chief executive of city Government of Chicago, government in Chicago, Illinois, the List of United States cities by population, third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsib ...

. In 1983, Palmer ran in the Democratic primary for the

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

for Washington's seat in Congress, but lost to Charles Hayes, whom Washington had endorsed. Palmer was associated recruiter and organizer and preceptor of Associated Colleges of the Midwest from 1970 until 1990.

Honours

He was inducted into the

Chicago State University Chicago State University (CSU) is a Historically black colleges and universities, predominantly black (PBI) public university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It includes an honors program for undergraduates and offers bachelor's and master ...

Black Writers' Hall of Fame, the Black Journalists Hall of Fame, and was awarded the Jomo Kenyatta Award for Political Activism, Grambling State's Outstanding Service Award, Bell Labs' Black Achievement Against the Odds Award in 1982, and received the Proclamation of Unity Award in 1976.

Personal life

His second cousin was publisher

Ruth Apilado Ruth Moselle Apilado (''née'' Mays; April 30, 1908 – August 15, 2021) was an American newspaper editor, novelist, anti-racism campaigner for African American civil rights, magazine founder, teacher, and supercentenarian who founded ''America' ...

, a newspaper editor and novelist, who founded ''

America's Intercultural Magazine ''America's Intercultural Magazine'' (abbreviated ''AIM'') was a magazine established in 1973 with the intent of working against racism, discrimination, and bigotry in the United States. Ruth Apilado founded ''AIM'' in 1973 after retiring from t ...

''. He had seven children with his wife Jorja English Palmer, and lived in Chicago's South Side.

References

1922 births 2004 deaths African-American journalists Syracuse University alumni 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people 20th-century American journalists {{US-journalist-1920s-stub