Charles Sumner "Chuck" Stone, Jr. (July 21, 1924 – April 6, 2014) was an American pilot, newspaper editor, journalism professor, and author. He was a member of the

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the United States Army ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and was the first president of the

National Association of Black Journalists The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization of African-American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists, the NABJ's stated purpose is to provide quality p ...

, serving from 1975 to 1977. Passionate about racial issues and supportive of many liberal causes, he refused to follow any party line, "but called the issues as he saw them." Sowell, Thomas
"Chuck Stone (1924-2014)."

TownHall.com Townhall is an American politically conservative website, print magazine and radio news service. Previously published by The Heritage Foundation, it is now owned and operated by Salem Communications. The website features more than 80 columns (b ...

, April 11, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2017.

Early life

Chuck Stone was born July 21, 1924 in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

to Charles Sumner Stone Sr and Madeline Chafin and raised in Hartford, Connecticut.Jackson, Dennis
His mother Madeline Chafin was a mixture of African American, Haitian Creole, English, French and Native American descent. needAccess=true&journalCode=rtbs20 "'The Outspoken Mr. Stone': A Conversation With Chuck Stone."

The Black Scholar ''The Black Scholar'' (''TBS''), the third-oldest journal of Black culture and political thought in the United States, was founded in 1969 near San Francisco, California, by Robert Chrisman, Nathan Hare, and Allan Ross. It is arguably the most in ...

27:1, 1997. 38-57. ''www.tandfonline.com'', April 14, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2017. Stone served in

, where he was member of the

. He had already been admitted to

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

after completing his military service, but chose instead to matriculate at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

, receiving degrees in political science and economics. He was the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

undergraduate in several decades at Wesleyan, graduating in the class of 1948 and serving as the commencement speaker. Stone subsequently received a master's degree in sociology from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

. After completing his education, he worked for the Chicago department store

Carson Pirie Scott Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (also known as Carson's) is an American department store that was founded in 1854, which grew to over 50 locations, primarily in the Midwestern United States. Sold to the holding company of Bon-Ton in 2006, but still op ...

, serving as the store's first African-American executive. He then studied law for eighteen months at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

before spending two years in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, Gaza, and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

as a representative for CARE.

Professional career

Journalist and educator

Chuck Stone's career in journalism began in 1958, when his friend Al Duckett, then Editor of

The New York Age ''The New York Age'' was a weekly newspaper established in 1887. It was widely considered one of the most prominent African-American newspapers of its time.

, hired him as a reporter. Several months later he was promoted to Editor by the newspaper's owner, Samuel B. Fuller. Stone worked as a columnist for The '' Philadelphia Daily News'' from 1972 to 1991. Stone was very critical of the

Philadelphia Police Department The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD or Philly PD) is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The PPD is one of the oldest municipal police agencies, fourth largest ...

's record of brutality towards African-Americans, which made him a trusted middleman between Philadelphia police and criminal suspects, more than 75 of whom 'surrendered' to Stone rather than to the cops.Abe, Daudi
"Stone, Charles Sumner, Jr. “Chuck” (1924-2014)."

BlackPast.org BlackPast.org is a web-based reference center that is dedicated primarily to the understanding of African-American history and Afro-Caribbean history and the history of people of Sub-Saharan African ancestry. In 2011 the American Library Associati ...

. Retrieved September 14, 2017."In memoriam: UD colleagues remember Chuck Stone."
''www1.udel.edu'', April 11, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2014. In 1975, he was the '' M. Lyle Spencer Visiting Professor of Journalism'' in the

S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, commonly known as Newhouse School, is the communications and journalism school of Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. It has programs in print and broadcast journalism; music business; graphic ...

at Syracuse University. He taught journalism at the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 ma ...

for seven years, and from 1986–1988, he served as the House Advisor for the

Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

Humanities House at the

. Stone later became the Walter Spearman Professor at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

, where he retired in 2005. Stone was nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, and was inducted into the

National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame The National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame is a hall of fame project of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) honoring African-American and other journalists. The original Hall of Fame list was established on April ...

in August 2004. On March 29, 2007, Stone attended a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, where he and the other veteran Tuskegee Airmen (or their widows) were awarded the

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...

by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

in recognition of the Airmen's service during

Civil rights

Chuck Stone became associated with the

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...

and the Black Power movement while working as an editor at

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

's ''New York Age'', the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

''Afro-American'', and the

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

''Daily Defender.'' He also served three years as a special assistant and speechwriter for Rep.

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (November 29, 1908 – April 4, 1972) was an American Baptist pastor and politician who represented the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in the United States House of Representatives from 1945 until 1971. He was t ...

of the 22nd congressional district of New York, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. In 1966 Stone was a member of a

steering committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

organized by Powell to discuss the meaning of the Black Power Movement. Karenga, Maulana
"Remembering Audacious Black Power: Revisiting the Model and Meaning."
''

Los Angeles Sentinel The ''Los Angeles Sentinel'' is a weekly African-American owned newspaper published in Los Angeles, California. The paper boasts of reaching 125,000 readers , making it one of the oldest, largest and most influential African-American newspapers ...

, July 13, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2017.

Awards

awarded to Tuskegee Airmen in 2006

Personal life

Stone was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He was a member of the fraternity's World Policy Council, a

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

whose purpose is to expand Alpha Phi Alpha's involvement in politics, and social and current policy to encompass international concerns. He was married to Louise Davis Stone for 49 years before they divorced. They are the parents of Krishna Stone, Allegra Stone and

Charles Stone III Charles Stone III (born 1966) is an American film director. He is best known for ''Drumline (film), Drumline'' starring Nick Cannon, ''Mr. 3000'' starring Bernie Mac, and ''Paid in Full (2002 film), Paid in Full''. Stone directed the video to " ...

, creator and star of the Budweiser "Whassup!" television commercials, and director of movies such as ''

Drumline Marching percussion instruments are instruments specially designed to be played while moving. This is achieved by attaching the drum(s) to a special harness (also called a carrier or rack) worn by the drummer, although not all marching bands us ...

'', ''

Mr. 3000 ''Mr. 3000'' is a 2004 American sports comedy film directed by Charles Stone III. It stars Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 h ...

'', and '' Paid In Full''.

Death and legacy

Stone died April 6, 2014, at the age of 89. He was survived by his three children, one grandchild, and two sisters. Stone is considered to be the "driving force behind NABJ", and the key to the organization's longevity. Bob Butler, president of the NABJ from 2013 to 2015, credited Stone with helping to improve diversity in newsroom management, stating that "what (diversity) does exist is because of Chuck and the other founders of the NABJ."Berry, Scott
"NABJ Mourns the Loss of Founder and Celebrated Journalist Chuck Stone."
''www.nabj.org'', April 6, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2017. The Chuck Stone Program for Diversity in Education and Media is a workshop for rising high school seniors at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, formerly known as the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The program, which began in 2007, honors the legacy of Chuck Stone, who retired from the school in 2005. The Chuck Stone Papers are housed in the Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library as part of the John Hope Franklin Center at Duke University."Inventory of the Chuck Stone Papers, 1931–2007 and undated."
''www.library.duke.edu.'' Retrieved August 16, 2007.

Written works

Non-fiction

* ''Tell It Like It Is.''

Trident Press Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...

, 1967.

ASIN Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She ...

B0006BUBAC. * ''Black Political Power in America.''

Bobbs-Merrill Company The Bobbs-Merrill Company was a book publisher located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Company history The company began in 1850 October 3 when Samuel Merrill bought an Indianapolis bookstore and entered the publishing business. After his death in ...

, 1968. ASIN B0006BW47U.

Fiction

* ''King Strut'' ( novel). Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1970. ASIN B0006CF6VK. * ''Squizzy the Black Squirrel: A Fabulous Fable of Friendship.'' Open Hand Publishing, 2003. ."Squizzy the Black Squirrel: A Fabulous Fable of Friendship."
''www.openhand.com.'' Retrieved October 22, 2017.

References

External links

Part One of 1990 WABC-TV ''Like It Is'' interview with Chuck StoneChuck Stone papers, 1931-2007, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Chuck 1924 births 2014 deaths Wesleyan University alumni Tuskegee Airmen United States Army Air Forces officers Aviators from Missouri African-American aviators University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty Syracuse University faculty 21st-century African-American people