William Peters (journalist)

William Ernest Peters Jr. (July 30, 1921 – May 20, 2007) was an American journalist and documentary filmmaker who frequently covered race relations in the United States. His 1956 Redbook magazine article "Our Weapon Is Love" introduced the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the philosophy of nonviolent resistance to the nation.[1]

For other people named William Peters, see William Peters (disambiguation).

Biography

Born in San Francisco, he earned a bachelor's degree in English from Northwestern University in 1947. He served as an Army Air Force pilot during World War II.

Peters won Peabody Awards for his 1963 CBS Reports[2] documentary Storm Over the Supreme Court, his 1967 documentary Africa, 1970's Eye of the Storm, and 1976 Suddenly an Eagle. His 1985 documentary A Class Divided, a sequel to Eye of the Storm, aired on PBS Frontline and won an Emmy Award. He also wrote several books, including The Southern Temper in 1959 and "For Us the Living", a book about Medgar Evers co-authored with Myrlie Evers (widow of Medgar Evers) in 1967. In 1964, Peters began work on CBS Reports: The Homosexuals with the approval of CBS News head Fred W. Friendly, although the program was not completed and aired until 1967.

Peters lived in Louisville, Colorado late in life and died there of Alzheimer's disease.[3] His daughter Gretchen Peters is an American singer and songwriter.

References
  1. "William Peters, 85; writer examined U.S. race relations". Los Angeles Times. May 27, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  2. "The Peabody Awards". peabodyawards.com. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  3. Fox, margalit (May 14, 2007). William Peters, 85, Journalist Who Examined Race in U.S.. The New York Times
  • William Peters at IMDb
  • William Peters, 85; writer examined U.S. race relations Jocelyn Y. Stewart, May 27, 2007
  • Letter from Martin Luther King, Jr. to William Peters 25 April 1956
  • William Peters, 85, Journalist Who Examined Race in U.S. Margalit Fox, May 24, 2007
  • A Class Divided Frontline PBS
  • CBS Reports 1959-1967
  • Filibuster – Birth Struggle of a Law (script) Broadcast March 18, 1964.


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