In "Ethel Payne, 'first lady of the black press,' asked questions no one else would," McGrath Morris chronicles Ethel Payne's storied journalism career, from asking tough questions as a member of the White House Press Corps to traveling overseas to follow the story.
Pair “Constance Baker Motley Taught the Nation How to Win Justice” with “Ethel Payne, ‘first lady of the black press,’ asked questions no one else would” and ask students to discuss the important contributions both women made. In “Constance Baker Motley Taught the Nation How to Win Justice,” why were people drawn to the courtroom to watch Motley work? How was Motley’s work as an attorney critical to the Civil Rights Movement? What specific skills and attributes did she have that made her work all the more impactful? How do these skills and attributes compare to those of Ethel Payne as outlined in “Ethel Payne, ‘first lady of the black press,’ asked questions no one else would?” In what ways did both women have to push the boundaries in order to make progress on Civil Rights issues and topics? Why do you think their work and contributions are not more well known?
