Roi Ottley

Vincent Lushington “Roi” Ottley (1906-1960) was an American journalist and author born in New York City to Grenadian immigrant parents. He attended St. Bonaventure University and the University of Michigan, becoming a reporter for the Amsterdam News and later the first African American war correspondent for major newspapers during WWII, covering events like the Normandy Invasion. His notable works include the bestselling New World A-Coming: Inside Black America (1943), which won multiple awards including the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, as well as Black Odyssey (1948) and No Green Pastures (1951) BlackPast.org.