L. Alex Wilson was a courageous African American journalist and editor who covered key civil rights events, including the Emmett Till case and the Little Rock Nine crisis. In 1957, while reporting on the integration of Little Rock Central High School, he was brutally attacked by a white mob who were against integration. Though he survived, the injuries he sustained had lasting effects on his health, ultimately contributing to his early death at 51.
Born on March 30, 1909, L. Alex Wilson grew up in the segregated South, where he witnessed firsthand the systemic racism and violence inflicted upon African Americans. This experience was one of the factors that led him to pursue a career in journalism, a field that allowed him to amplify the voices of the marginalized and challenge the status quo.
Wilson began his career at the Chicago Defender, one of the most influential African American newspapers in the United States. The Defender was known for its bold reporting on racial injustice and its advocacy for civil rights.
In 1950, Wilson was sent overseas to cover the experiences of African American soldiers during the Korean War, highlighting their contributions and struggles in a segregated military. His reporting earned him respect and recognition within the journalism community. By 1955, Wilson had become the editor and general manager of the Tri-State Defender, a Memphis-based newspaper that was part of the Chicago Defender chain. Under his leadership, the Tri-State Defender became a powerful voice for civil rights in the South.
One of Wilson’s most significant contributions to journalism was his coverage of the Emmett Till case in 1955. Till was a 14-year-old African American boy, who was brutally lynched in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Wilson and his team at the Tri-State Defender played an important role in bringing national attention to the case. Their reporting, along with the decision by Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, to hold an open-casket funeral, exposed the horrors of racial violence to the world.
The Little Nine Rock Crisis
In 1957, Wilson found himself at the center of another significant moment in the civil rights movement: the integration of Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education had declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. However, many Southern states resisted the ruling. In Little Rock, the school board agreed to a gradual desegregation plan, and nine African American students—known as the Little Rock Nine—were selected to integrate Central High School.
On September 4, 1957, the students attempted to enter the school but were blocked by the Arkansas National Guard, acting on the orders of the state Governor. The situation escalated into a national crisis, prompting President Dwight D. Eisenhower to federalize the National Guard and send the U.S. Army to ensure the students’ safety. On September 23, the Little Rock Nine finally entered the school under military protection.
As a journalist committed to covering the civil rights movement, L. Alex Wilson traveled to Little Rock to report on the integration of Central High School. On September 23, 1957, Wilson and two other African American journalists arrived at the school ahead of the Little Rock Nine. As they stepped out of their car, they were immediately targeted by a violent white mob that had gathered to protest the integration.
At 6’3″, Wilson was a giant man, and his calm demeanor made him a visible target. Refusing to run from the mob, Wilson chose to walk away with dignity. His refusal to run infuriated the mob, and they attacked him with brutal force. One assailant jumped on his back and choked him, while another struck him in the head with a brick. Despite the vicious assault, Wilson maintained his composure, shielding his face with his hat and continuing to walk away.
The attack was captured by television cameras and photographers, and the images of Wilson’s assault were broadcast across the nation. These visuals shocked the American public and exposed the brutality of segregationist resistance.
Although Wilson survived the assault, the injuries he sustained had lasting effects. He returned to Chicago, where he became the editor of The Chicago Defender, but his health deteriorated over time. The head trauma from the attack contributed to the development of Parkinson’s disease, which ultimately led to his death on October 11, 1960, three years after the incident, at the age of 51.
Sources:
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/little-rock-nine
