Lous Emamauel Lomax
August 16, 1922 – July 30, 1970
Lomax was a distinguished African-American journalist and author, notably recognized as the inaugural African-American television journalist.
Early Life:
Louis Emanuel Lomax was born in Valdosta, Georgia, to parents Emanuel C. Smith and Sarah Louise Lomax. He pursued his education at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, where he claimed to have graduated in 1942 after serving as the editor of the student newspaper for two years. Subsequently, he attended American University, where he stated he earned an M.A. in 1944. Lomax also mentioned attending Howard University and Yale University, where he asserted he obtained a Ph.D. in 1947. However, despite these claims, Lomax did not complete a degree beyond his initial two years at Paine College.
Throughout his life, Lomax was married three times. His first marriage was to Betty Frank from 1958 to 1961, followed by his marriage to Wanda Kay from 1961 to 1967. His third marriage was to Robinette Kirk, which lasted from 1968 until his death in 1970.
Career:
Louis Lomax commenced his journalism career by working for the Afro-American and the Chicago Defender, two newspapers that focused on news relevant to African-American readers. His career took a significant turn in 1958 when he became the first African-American television journalist by joining WNTA-TV in New York.
In 1959, Lomax introduced his colleague Mike Wallace to the Nation of Islam, leading to their collaboration on a five-part documentary titled “The Hate That Hate Produced.” Airing in July 1959, this program marked the first exposure for many white viewers to the Nation of Islam, its leader Elijah Muhammad, and the charismatic Malcolm X.
As his career progressed, Lomax transitioned into freelance writing, contributing articles to prominent publications such as Harper’s, Life, Pageant, The Nation, and The New Leader. His written work covered topics ranging from the Civil Rights Movement to the Nation of Islam and the Black Panther Party. In recognition of his literary achievements, Lomax received the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in 1961 for his book “The Reluctant African.”
Between 1964 and 1968, Lomax hosted a semi-weekly television program on KTTV in Los Angeles. He also engaged in frequent speaking engagements at college campuses.
Lomax actively supported various civil rights organizations, including the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 1968, he signed the “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest” pledge, publicly expressing his refusal to pay taxes in protest against the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintained an extensive file on Louis Lomax, comprising over 150 pages containing correspondence, memos, newspaper clippings, speeches, and more.
Death:
At the time of his tragic death, Louis Lomax had received a $15,000 Esso Foundation grant and was actively working on a three-volume work concerning black history. On July 30, 1970, while returning to New York after completing a lecture tour on the West Coast, he lost his life in a car accident along Interstate 40, 26 miles east of Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Witnesses reported that he was driving at a high speed on the double-laned highway when he lost control of his rented Ford station wagon while attempting to overtake another vehicle. The investigation revealed that Lomax was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from his car after it overturned three times. He succumbed to head and internal injuries at the scene, with his Hofstra class ring serving as a means of identification.
Karl Evanzz, a staff writer for The Washington Post, later suggested in his 1992 book “The Judas Factor: The Plot to Kill Malcolm X” that Louis Lomax was actively involved in a documentary project regarding the FBI’s role in the death of Malcolm X. Evanzz hinted at the possibility that Lomax’s own death might have been connected to this investigative work.
Selected Works:
Louis Lomax’s written works include:
- “The Reluctant African” (1960)
- “The Negro Revolt” (1962)
- “When the Word Is Given: A Report on Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, and the Black Muslim World” (1963)
- “Thailand: The War That Is, The War That Will Be” (1967)
- “To Kill a Black Man: The Shocking Parallel in the Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.” (1968)