page_title: Thomas C. Fleming
hierarchical_section_title: Thomas C. Fleming
caption_attribution_description: English: a photo of Thomas C. Fleming (journalist for the black press) to accompany the biographical article about him that I just submitted to Wikipedia the other day
context_page_description: Thomas Courtney Fleming, was one of the most influential African American journalists on the West Coast in the 20th century. Starting in 1944, he spent 61 years as an editor, reporter and columnist for the black press in San Francisco. He began his career that year as founding editor of the Reporter – then the city's only black newspaper. In 1948 it merged with the rival Sun to become the Sun-Reporter. Published by Fleming's best friend, civil rights activist and physician Dr. Carlton Goodlett, it remained San Francisco's leading black newspaper throughout Fleming's working life, and is still published weekly.
  Fleming retired as executive editor of the Sun-Reporter in 1997, but continued as a columnist until 2005. At the age of 90 he gained a national reputation when his 86-part series, "Reflections on Black History," was syndicated to more than 200 black newspapers through the National Newspaper Publishers Association. After his death, his memoirs were compiled into a book, In the Black World.
  Fleming covered nine national political conventions and met many of the leading black intellectuals and celebrities of his day, including Langston Hughes, A.
context_section_description: Thomas Courtney Fleming (November 29, 1907 – November 21, 2006), was one of the most influential African American journalists on the West Coast in the 20th century. Starting in 1944, he spent 61 years as an editor, reporter and columnist for the black press in San Francisco. He began his career that year as founding editor of the Reporter – then the city's only black newspaper. In 1948 it merged with the rival Sun to become the Sun-Reporter. Published by Fleming's best friend, civil rights activist and physician Dr. Carlton Goodlett, it remained San Francisco's leading black newspaper throughout Fleming's working life, and is still published weekly.
  Fleming retired as executive editor of the Sun-Reporter in 1997, but continued as a columnist until 2005. At the age of 90 he gained a national reputation when his 86-part series, "Reflections on Black History," was syndicated to more than 200 black newspapers through the National Newspaper Publishers Association (Black Press of America). After his death, his memoirs were compiled into a book, In the Black World.
  Fleming covered nine national political conventions and met many of the leading black intellectuals and celebrities of his day, including Langston Hughes, A. Philip Randolph, Jackie Robinson, Duke Ellington, Paul Robeson, Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He received numerous public honors for his work, including the Career Achievement Award for Print from the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, an annual scholarship in his name at his alma mater, and accolades in the Congressional Record. On his 90th birthday, the California State Assembly saluted him as the San Francisco Bay Area's "oldest, longest-running continuously active journalist." His memorial service was held at San Francisco City Hall.
caption: Thomas C. Fleming in 1997
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