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E. James West

E. James West Profile Photo

I'm a UK-based historian and writer. My work focuses primarily on histories of the Black press and Black Chicago. More broadly, I'm interested in the connections between popular history, race, media, and visual culture in and beyond the modern United States.

​I am a Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Societies and Cultures at University College London. I'm also the co-director of the Black Press Research Collective, based at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

In addition to my books and academic writing, you can find my work published in (or featured on), outlets such as Black Perspectives, Slate, the New York Times, Nieman Reports, NPR, and the Washington Post.

Feb. 13, 2023

John H. Johnson & Ebony Magazine

When businessman John H. Johnson died in 2005, Ebony Magazine, the monthly photo-editorial magazine that he launched in 1945, reached an estimated 10 million readers. Under the direction of executive editor Lerone Bennet Jr.…
Guest: E. James West