Alabama Humanities Foundation will honor retired New York Times executive editor and Pulitzer Prize winner Howell Raines as one of four fellows inducted into its 2019 class at The Colloquium, set for Oct. 7 at Birmingham’s The Club.
To be honored are four individuals with Alabama ties who have made significant contributions in the humanities in their lives and careers: Marquita Davis, Ph.D., deputy director, Early Learning, Pacific Northwest for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Fred Gray, attorney and nationally recognized civil rights activist; Raines; and Jody Singer, director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.
“This is our third year of The Colloquium, and each year brings us new inspiration as we hear from such distinguished people who have had such an impact, not just in our state but around the world,” said AHF Executive Director Armand DeKeyser. “To think that they all have Alabama ties makes us proud and makes this event so special.”
All four fellows will be featured in a live conversation moderated by National Public Radio’s Michel Martin. They will be talking about their lives, their careers and the role humanities have played in shaping their perspectives. Martin is host of NPR’s All Things Considered, and this will be her second time to moderate the annual event.
Nancy Grisham Anderson of Montgomery and Guin Robinson of Birmingham are honorary co-chairs for the annual event.
A Birmingham native, Raines began his journalism career in Alabama in 1964, working, respectively, for the Birmingham Post-Herald, WBRC -TV, the Tuscaloosa News and The Birmingham News.
He joined the Atlanta Constitution in 1971 and was political editor in 1973-74. In 1976, he was hired by Eugene Patterson as the political editor of the St. Petersburg Times, covering Jimmy Carter’s presidential candidacy. He joined the Atlanta bureau of the New York Times in 1978.
During Raines’ 25 years at the Times, he served as Atlanta Bureau Chief, National Political Correspondent, White House Correspondent, London Bureau Chief, Washington Editor, Editorial Page Editor (1993-2001) and Executive Editor (2001-2003).
In 1993, he won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing for “Grady’s Gift,” a New York Times Magazine article describing his friendship with Grady Richardson, a black housekeeper employed by his family during the era of segregation.
He is the author of four books: Whiskey Man, a novel; My Soul Is Rested, a history of the Civil Rights Movement; Fly Fishing Through the Midlife Crisis and The One That Got Away, memoirs.
Raines earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Birmingham Southern College and a master’s in English from the University of Alabama. He holds honorary doctorates from both institutions.
He is married to Krystyna Stachowiak Raines, a writer and former journalist for Polish news outlets, and they split their time between homes in Fairhope and Henryville, PA.
The Colloquium opens at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. and the program at noon. More information, tickets, tables and sponsorships are available at https://www.alabamahumanities.org/alabama-colloquium/.
About the Alabama Humanities Foundation
Alabama Humanities Foundation mission is to foster learning, understanding and appreciation of our people, communities and cultures. As the independent, state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the AHF supports and offers programs that will enhance the minds and enrich the lives of Alabamians.
