A determined journalist’s account of rising to Pulitzer Prize–winning heights
Under the Sun: A Black Journalist’s Journey is Harold Jackson’s powerful memoir that chronicles his path from a Birmingham, Alabama, housing project in the 1950s and ’60s to becoming a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist. Growing up in the segregated South, Jackson didn’t see a writing career as feasible, especially with the financial struggles his family faced after his father’s death. However, his freshman English teacher’s encouragement set him on a course that would change his life.
Jackson’s journey began in high school, where he became one of the first Black students in the University of Alabama’s summer journalism workshop. It was there that he discovered his unique voice as a writer, setting the stage for a remarkable forty-five-year career as a newspaper writer and editor. Despite the pervasive racial prejudices of the time, Jackson learned to navigate the complexities of being Black in a predominantly white profession. He reflects on the duality of living as a Black person in America, a concept W. E. B. Du Bois described as “double consciousness,” and the ways journalism allowed Jackson to connect with people from all walks of life.
Through his work at prominent news venues such as the Birmingham Post-Herald, United Press International, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Birmingham News, the Baltimore Sun, and the Houston Chronicle, Jackson’s story is not just one of professional success but also of personal growth and understanding. Under the Sun is a testament to his resilience, his ability to see past racial barriers, and his unwavering commitment to giving a voice to those who need it most.