Dr. Kaye sits down with Dean Emeritus DeWayne Wickham, a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), to discuss his remarkable journalism career and his newly archived collection at the Enoch Pratt Free Library.
Wickham’s collection includes interviews, confidential documents, and historical records that capture decades of American politics and civil rights history. His journalism career began in the early 1970s as an intern at the Baltimore Evening Sun and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He later served as Capitol Hill correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, a reporter for The Baltimore Sun, and a talk show host for Baltimore’s WBAL-TV.
Beyond journalism, Wickham worked in President Jimmy Carter’s administration under Dr. Mary Frances Berry, wrote columns for Gannett News Service and USA Today, and contributed to Black Enterprise magazine. He also traveled with Nelson Mandela during his 1992 U.S. tour and accompanied Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s 1994 return to Haiti. In 2000, he founded the Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies at North Carolina A&T State University.
In this conversation, Wickham reflects on his historic career, shares insights on the recent election results and government shutdown, and discusses the importance of documenting Black voices in journalism and politics.
