Karen Parker
Encyclopedia
Karen L. Parker, the first African-American woman undergraduate to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, was born in Salisbury, North Carolina
and grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
. Parker worked for the Winston-Salem Journal
before attending UNC-Chapel Hill. She majored in journalism
, was elected vice-president of the UNC Press Club, and served as editor of the UNC Journalist, the School of Journalism's newspaper in 1964. After graduating in 1965, Parker was a copy editor for the Grand Rapids Press in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. She also worked for the Los Angeles Times
and other newspapers before returning to the Winston-Salem Journal.
Ellyn Bache used Parker's diary when conducting research for her 1997 novel The Activist's Daughter about student activists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1963.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, was born in Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
and grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
. Parker worked for the Winston-Salem Journal
Winston-Salem Journal
The Winston-Salem Journal is a daily newspaper primarily serving the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and its county, Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also features coverage of Northwestern North Carolina and circulates as far west as Tennessee and north to Virginia.The paper is owned by...
before attending UNC-Chapel Hill. She majored in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, was elected vice-president of the UNC Press Club, and served as editor of the UNC Journalist, the School of Journalism's newspaper in 1964. After graduating in 1965, Parker was a copy editor for the Grand Rapids Press in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. She also worked for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
and other newspapers before returning to the Winston-Salem Journal.
Ellyn Bache used Parker's diary when conducting research for her 1997 novel The Activist's Daughter about student activists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1963.
External links
- Inventory of the Karen L. Parker Diary, 1963-1966, in the Southern Historical Collection, UNC-Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
.