27 Facts About Hazel Garland

Hazel B Garland was a journalist, columnist and newspaper editor.

Hazel Garland was the first African-American woman to serve as editor-in-chief of a nationally circulated newspaper chain.

In 1974 Garland was made editor-in-chief, and in the same year she was named 'Editor of the Year' by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

Hazel Garland retired from her editorial role in 1977 due to health problems, although she continued writing and remained in an advisory role to the publishers until her death in 1988.

Hazel Garland was the eldest of 16 children born to George and Hazel Hill, who were at that time farmers.

Hazel Garland was an enthusiastic and talented student, and had hoped to continue with her education.

Hazel Garland spent time in the evenings dancing, singing and playing the drums for local bands, and for a short time considered a career in entertainment.

Hazel Garland was a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.

In 1951, Hazel Garland became a member of the Pittsburgh chapter of The Girl Friend's, Inc.

Hazel Garland died on April 5,1988, aged 75, in McKeesport Hospital due to a heart attack after surgery on a cerebral aneurysm.

Hazel Garland produced so much material that her articles were eventually combined into a column called Tri-City News, which began appearing in the Pittsburgh Courier in late 1943.

That year, the paper offered to begin training some of its stringers to become full-time journalists, an opportunity that Hazel Garland was quick to take up.

Hazel Garland, who had never been into such an environment before, was somewhat alarmed, but simply paid another male colleague to accompany her and soon returned with all the details necessary for her story.

Hazel Garland has come from a small town where life centred on the family.

In 1955 Hazel Garland started writing television column called Video Vignettes.

At a time when the majority of mainstream TV columnists paid little attention to media diversity, Hazel Garland's column made particular note of occasions when black performers or broadcasters were dismissed, or when relevant shows were cancelled.

In 1960 Hazel Garland was promoted from feature editor to women's editor of the magazine, but a financial recession in Chicago, declining circulation of the Courier and increasing coverage of black issues in mainstream newspapers had led to serious financial problems at the paper.

In spite of bouncing pay checks, Hazel Garland continued writing for the paper.

At the time Hazel Garland was the editor of both the entertainment and women's sections of the paper, but in 1972 Sengstacke offered her the post of city editor, which was considered a management level role.

Not all of her colleagues at the paper agreed with this promotion, and Hazel Garland was still subject to some harassment from her co-workers.

In 1974 Hazel Garland was promoted again, this time to editor-in-chief, the first African-American woman to do so at any newspaper in the United States.

The role was a demanding one and Hazel Garland spent many hours away from her family, reorganising the paper into a more up to date format, developing new beats and expanding some existing sections to appeal to a broader audience.

Hazel Garland was one of two top women in journalism, the other being Ethel Payne of the Chicago Defender.

In 1976 the New Pittsburgh Courier won the John B Russwurm award for the best national African-American newspaper, for which Garland herself won $500 and a life membership of the NAACP.

Hazel Garland was honoured that year by the Jewish women's group ORT America for 'bridging the gap between races'.

In 1977 Hazel Garland retired from her editorial post due to ill health, but she continued writing her columns and took on an advisory role to Sengstacke one day a week.

Hazel Garland was the first African-American woman to work her way from freelance writer to editor-in-chief of a national newspaper.