
About the Author
Award winning photo-journalist
independently covered the civil rights movement for family
publications in USA and Europe plus films: National Press Club
Distinguished Journalism Award twice, Brotherhood in Media
Award, Jesse H. Neal Award, Oberhauser Grand Prix. Photos of
children in ghettoes, civil rights actions and leaders have hung
in art galleries coast to coast. Franklynn spent time in jail
for covering his stories with his passion, and stood barely 20
feet from Rev. King when he gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. He
became friends during story research with
Mr., James Meredith, Mr. Charles Evers,
Ms. Coretta
King, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Mr. Floyd McKissick, Congresswoman Shirley
Chisholm, Congressman Major R. Owens, Mr. Isaac Hayes, Mr. Rufus Thomas,
and many many others. Peterson ran and funded a free workshop in
Bedford-Stuyvesant on writing and photography for a great many
years at the library that serves that Brooklyn ghetto. Now a
resident of Madison, Wisconsin, he volunteers to take part in
programs for disadvantaged who are interested in photography.
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Meet "Whitey," in
reality Franklynn Peterson.
For
many of his growing years, he lived in a segregated paper mill town
in central Wisconsin. But as a U. Wisconsin senior (mentored by
Jesse Jackson's #1 associate, Ed Ridick),
he reignited the local Madison, WI, civil rights movement and was
encouraged by future Wisconsin Republican Congressman
Bill
.Steiger His modest spark grew
into a Northern Student Movement supporting Southern sit-ins. Next,
in New York City, he worked with the infamous Brooklyn chapter of
CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) alongside
Sony Carson
and future New York Democratic Congressman
Major Owens.
Franklynn's pro bono photos of kids in decrepit housing hooked him
on activism. But he saw greater need for positive photo-journalism
about Civil Rights for family publications. Independently, he
brought the good folks and good stuff fit to print about why civil
rights was vital to the whole USA to millions of middleclass readers
weekly where hearts and minds might be swayed. His story about
activism is required reading for today's citizens of any color! Mr.
Peterson, "Whitey," produced lively and literate photo-journalism
independently for a Sunday magazine syndicate that included
newspapers as large as the Boston
Globe, New York City Daily News, Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune,
Columbus Dispatch, Detroit Free Press, Houston Chronicle, Dallas
Morning News, Milwaukee Journal, Memphis Courier Dispatch.
Also for an African-American pictorial monthly,
Sepia, and a liberal
Catholic weekly, Ave Maria, published at Notre Dame University. A
Dutch-based photo agency re-sold "Whitey's" photo-journalism to
European giants such as Elle, Stern, and London tabloids. He averaged
nearly four stories a month and each averaged circulations in the
millions. He was able to remain free of political or other influence
from leaders of any Civil Rights or other organization since his
fees for his stories paid his expenses and family support
handsomely. Peterson's wall is bedecked with awards from the
National Press Club (two consecutive years "Distinguished
Journalism" award), Brotherhood in Media Award, Jesse H. Neal Award,
and a Palm D'or from the Oberhauser Film Festival for a documentary
film he helped produce. Photos from his often dangerous coverage of
highly charged issues are still sought by publications and art
galleries. In fact, "Whitey" spent time in jail for covering a
police crack-down of possible protestors. His photos have hung in
art galleries from coast to coast.
Illustrated with 25 of the author's civil
rights photographs.
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