Roberts to speak Friday
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on February 20, 2008 1:51 PM
Pulitzer Prize winning author Gene Roberts will speak Friday at 7 p.m. at the Wayne County Museum at 116 N. William St., in conjunction with the Wayne County Reads project.
Roberts, a Pikeville native, will discuss the book that was chosen for the annual project, "Blood Done Sign My Name."
The book is a true story by Timothy Tyson about a black man who was murdered by a white family in Oxford, North Carolina.
Roberts began his career at The Goldsboro News-Argus. He later covered the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War for The New York Times. He eventually worked as the executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he led the paper in winning 17 Pulitzers in 18 years.
He co-authored a book with Hank Klibanoff entitled "The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation," which chronicled the Civil Rights struggle and the role the press played in bringing it to the forefront. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for history last year.
Roberts lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife, Susan. They have four children: Leslie Jane, Margaret Page, Elizabeth Susan, and Polly Ann.
He serves as the American chairman of both the International Press Institute and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The presentation will be followed by a reception and book signing. For information, call 734-5023.