R.I. P. Alex Poinsett
I'm deeply saddened by news of the passing of old friend and renowned journalist/author, Alex Poinsett at age 89.
Poinsett spent three decades as Ebony Magazine's senior editor. He was author of five books: “Black Power Gary Style: The Making of Mayor Richard Gordon Hatcher,” and “Walking with Presidents: Louis Martin and the Rise of Political Power.” He received the 1999 University of Michigan Book Award for his work.
He also wrote extensively about Chicago's inner-city schools and communities.
I met Alex back 1996 when he interviewed me for some stories he was writing about the small schools movement. Later we traveled together to South Africa to look at schools and the emerging post-apartheid educational system.
Here's a piece Alex wrote for Catalyst in 1996 about DuSable High School's attempt to restructure into small schools.
DuSable’s 8-year journey toward small schoolsMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: R.I. P. Alex Poinsett: