Lurma Rackley
Encyclopedia
Lurma M. Rackley is an American author, journalist and publicist. The daughter of a civil rights
activist, she participated in civil rights demonstrations and was arrested sixteen times before she was thirteen. After college, she became a journalist and later, a publicist with the Washington, D.C. city government. In 1981, Petey Greene
asked her to collaborate with him on his autobiography, recording audiotaped interviews with her shortly before his death. Rackley published her book about Greene in 2004.
. Her mother and father got divorced when she and her sister were very young and were adopted by her mother's second husband, Larney G. Rackley, a professor at South Carolina State University
.
Active with her mother in the Orangeburg, South Carolina
Freedom Movement, Rackley was arrested sixteen times by the age of thirteen. Once, she and her mother missed a court appearance when they used the "whites only"
restroom in the courthouse and were arrested. Although an honors student
, at the age of 14, she was sentenced to seven years in reform school
because of her many arrests as part of the Orangeburg Freedom Movement. Then-attorney Matthew J. Perry
appealed the sentence and obtained her release. When threatened with reform school, Rackley's mother wanted her to stop protesting, but Rackley refused. She told her mother she couldn't stop when others were putting themselves on the line, so they reached a compromise that neither would picket if the other were in jail.
Rackley received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Clark College, now Clark Atlanta University
in 1970 and a special Masters
degree from the Columbia University School of Journalism that same year. She got her first job after college in late 1970 at The Evening Star, which later became The Washington Star. In 1979, she left to work for the city government in Washington, D.C., eventually becoming the press secretary for Washington, D.C.
mayor Marion Barry
during some of Barry's public struggles.
In 1981, Rackley was asked to write an article about Greene for the Washington North Star. After the interview, Greene spoke to her about collaborating with him to write his autobiography. Over the course of a year, they recorded audiotaped interviews until Greene fell terminally ill. After Greene's death, interest in publishing the book weakened. Rackley eventually published it herself in 2004.
After eleven years of working for the city, Rackley left to work for Hill and Knowlton, a public relations
firm, where she was vice president in charge of media relations. After two years, she left to head up the communications department of Amnesty International USA
. She then worked at Eddie Bauer
, where she set up their corporate social responsibility unit. She then joined CARE, where she was head of media relations. She now works for Habitat for Humanity and as a freelance writer.
and lives in Atlanta.
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist, she participated in civil rights demonstrations and was arrested sixteen times before she was thirteen. After college, she became a journalist and later, a publicist with the Washington, D.C. city government. In 1981, Petey Greene
Petey Greene
Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr was an African American television and radio talk show host. A two-time Emmy Award-winner, Greene overcame drug addiction and a prison sentence for armed robbery to become one of the most prominent media personalities in Washington, DC...
asked her to collaborate with him on his autobiography, recording audiotaped interviews with her shortly before his death. Rackley published her book about Greene in 2004.
Biography
Rackley is the daughter of civil rights activist Gloria BlackwellGloria Blackwell
Gloria Blackwell was an African-American civil rights activist and educator. She taught at Clark Atlanta University for 20 years and was at the center of the civil rights movement in Orangeburg, South Carolina, attracting national attention and a visit by Martin Luther King.- Biography :Gloria...
. Her mother and father got divorced when she and her sister were very young and were adopted by her mother's second husband, Larney G. Rackley, a professor at South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,...
.
Active with her mother in the Orangeburg, South Carolina
Orangeburg, South Carolina
Orangeburg, also known as "The Garden City," is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city is also the fifth oldest city in the state of South Carolina. The city population was 12,765 at the 2000 census, within a Greater Orangeburg...
Freedom Movement, Rackley was arrested sixteen times by the age of thirteen. Once, she and her mother missed a court appearance when they used the "whites only"
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
restroom in the courthouse and were arrested. Although an honors student
Honors student
An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and...
, at the age of 14, she was sentenced to seven years in reform school
Reform school
A reform school in the United States was a term used to define, often somewhat euphemistically, what was often essentially a penal institution for boys, generally teenagers.-History:...
because of her many arrests as part of the Orangeburg Freedom Movement. Then-attorney Matthew J. Perry
Matthew J. Perry
Matthew James Perry Jr. was a United States federal judge.Born in Columbia, South Carolina, Perry was in the United States Army from 1943 to 1946, and then received a Bachelor of Science degree from South Carolina State College in 1948 and an LL.B. from South Carolina State College in 1951...
appealed the sentence and obtained her release. When threatened with reform school, Rackley's mother wanted her to stop protesting, but Rackley refused. She told her mother she couldn't stop when others were putting themselves on the line, so they reached a compromise that neither would picket if the other were in jail.
Rackley received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Clark College, now Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University...
in 1970 and a special Masters
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degree from the Columbia University School of Journalism that same year. She got her first job after college in late 1970 at The Evening Star, which later became The Washington Star. In 1979, she left to work for the city government in Washington, D.C., eventually becoming the press secretary for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
mayor Marion Barry
Marion Barry
Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, representing DC's Ward 8. Barry served as the second elected mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991, and again as the fourth mayor from 1995...
during some of Barry's public struggles.
In 1981, Rackley was asked to write an article about Greene for the Washington North Star. After the interview, Greene spoke to her about collaborating with him to write his autobiography. Over the course of a year, they recorded audiotaped interviews until Greene fell terminally ill. After Greene's death, interest in publishing the book weakened. Rackley eventually published it herself in 2004.
After eleven years of working for the city, Rackley left to work for Hill and Knowlton, a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
firm, where she was vice president in charge of media relations. After two years, she left to head up the communications department of Amnesty International USA
Amnesty International USA
Amnesty International USA is one of many country sections that make up Amnesty International worldwide.Amnesty International is an organization of more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in over 150 countries, with complete independence from government, corporate or national...
. She then worked at Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. is a holding company that operates the Eddie Bauer clothing store chain, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, United States. EBH was formed after Eddie Bauer's former parent company, Spiegel, Inc., went bankrupt in 2003...
, where she set up their corporate social responsibility unit. She then joined CARE, where she was head of media relations. She now works for Habitat for Humanity and as a freelance writer.
Personal
She has one son, Rumal Rackley, from her relationship with Gil Scott-HeronGil Scott-Heron
Gilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s...
and lives in Atlanta.
Books
- Kenneth Walker, Earl CaldwellEarl Caldwell (journalist)Earl Caldwell is an American journalist. He documented the Black Panthers from the inside in the 1970s, and became embroiled in a key U.S. Supreme Court decision clarifying reporters' rights. The case started when the FBI tried to press Caldwell to be an informant against the Black Panther Party...
, Lurma Rackley, Black American Witness: Reports from the Front (1994). Lion House Publishing. ISBN 1886446105 - Lurma Rackley, Laugh If You Like, Ain’t a Damn Thing Funny: The Life Story of Ralph “Petey” Greene as Told to Lurma Rackley (2004)
External links
- Photo by Cecil Williams, Lurma Rackley with her mother, Gloria Blackwell, in 1963 Road Trip! Orangeburg civil rights photos. Retrieved June 6, 2011