BUTTER PECAN PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
Robert Churchwell:
The Jackie Robinson of Journalism
Gloria Respress-Churchwell produced and directed a documentary about Robert Churchwell, Sr.’s life that won the Tennessee Tribune award at the Nashville Film Festival. The book and documentary are part of Churchwell’s permanent collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In 1950, Robert Churchwell was hired at The Nashville Banner, and became one of the first African Americans to work full-time as a reporter at a prominent daily Southern newspaper. At the time, the Banner was known for its defense of the “old South” and its segregationist ways. Churchwell was originally hired to report on the African American community, as a way to increase readership among Blacks. “They hired me so the Banner could start running pictures of Negroes and Negro stories all over the paper, not just in one part,” said Churchwell during his videotaped interview with NVLP in 2002. Churchwell later became the paper’s education writer.
Initially, Churchwell was not allowed a desk in the newsroom. For several years, he wrote his stories at home and delivered them to the city editor. Later, when he was given a desk in the newsroom, according to Churchwell, only a few of his Caucasian colleagues would speak to him. For 31 years, Churchwell worked for the Banner, retiring in 1981.
After retirement from the Banner, Churchwell worked at the R.H.Boyd Publishing Corporation as their editorial writer. He worked there for an additional 25 years. Churchwell has been honored with several awards including being honored posthumously by the Society of Professional Journalist with the Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award was last given to former NBC News anchor, Tom Brokaw. The Monroe Carell, Jr. Children’s Hospital has a lectureship in his honor. Churchwell was noted for saying, “Of all the awards and honors, my children are my greatest accomplishment.” Three of Churchwell’s sons worked in prominent positions at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where Churchwell once had to view the football games from behind the fence.
He cherished his wife of 57 years Mary Elizabeth Buckingham and their five children.
Robert Churchwell:
The Jackie Robinson of Journalism World Premiere
Highlight of the Tennessee Film Festival’s final night was the screening of the Robert Churchwell story. Churchwell, who served in World War II in both the European and Pacific theatres and part of the epic Battle of the Bulge, was the first African American hired to work as a journalist for a major southern daily newspaper, the Nashville Banner. He was also a devoted family man who worked hard to insure that the difficulties he faced on the job because of his race did not affect his relationship with his wife and children. Finally, Churchwell was also a committed Christian with a deep faith and was a long-time member of Seay Hubbard United Methodist Church in Nashville.
Television Channel 5 anchor/reporter Vicki Yates speaks with Robert Churchwell, Jr., at a pre-screening reception. Robert Churchwell is the oldest son of Robert and Mary Churchwell
An unexpected part of the world premiere of Robert Churchwell: The Jackie Robinson of Journalism was a video of the Percy Priest Elementary School dramatization of Churchwell’s life and contribution to race relations in the United States. This dramatization and the impact it had on the participants added weight to the concept that Robert Churchwell’s story needed to be told nationally through film and video—media that could be used in theatres, church sanctuaries, social clubs and, school history classes.
At the conclusion of the evening, family members gathered at the front of the theatre for a panel discussion of Robert Churchwell Sr.’s life.
The Rev. Dr. Kennard Murray was pastor to Robert and Mary Churchwell at Seay Hubbard United Methodist Church and delivered Churchwell’s eulogy on February 5, 2009. Among the statements made during the eulogy were the following:
Pamela and Kennard Murray. The Rev. Dr. Murray is pastor at Seay Hubbard UMC.
“Brother Churchwell was a Christian man, a husband of 57 years to his bride Sister Mary. He was the father of 5 outstanding children. As his oldest son Robert Churchwell, Jr. stated about his father in Monday’s Tennessean, ‘He will be remembered not only as a trailblazer but a family man. There was nothing that he wouldn’t do for his family.’”
“The tributes in his honor have clearly stated that Robert Churchwell, Sr. will be remembered for another distinction. He was one of a generation who God chose to participate in tearing down the walls of discrimination and victoriously confronting blatant, or at times subtle, but still a very real demonic ideology that one person’s race made them inferior to another’s race. It is interesting where he would be sent to do his part; to be what some call a trailblazer: the former Nashville Banner in 1950.”
Mary Churchwell, widow of Robert Churchwell, with Tommy Cresswell who did the voiceover for the film.
“When I canvassed family pictures and articles, I noticed one titled Southern journalism’s Jackie Robinson.” This was an article about Mr. Churchwell being the first Black person hired as a general assignment reporter for a white-owned daily newspaper in the South. Unfortunately, along with the honor of being the first Black reporter during that time in the South, there was also contempt by many. It has been well documented that not all 31 years he was employed at the former Nashville Banner were pleasant, friendly, or professional. He endured hardships, frustrations, disrespect, and some difficult times from some of his white co-workers.
Family members shared stories and answered questions at the conclusion of the film. From left to the right: Dr. Keith Churchwell, Dr. Andre Churchwell, and Robert Churchwell, Jr.
It was also documented in the book titled The Children there were some in the Black community who did not understand why he would work for the Nashville Banner of that time. But Brother Churchwell was determined that negative attitudes, no office space at the building for several years, having to work out of his home, not being included in staff meetings, and being limited to reporting on certain events in the Black community would not stop him from fulfilling his chosen career as a reporter for a major newspaper. One need only to look at his children’s accomplishments to see he passed down that determination.” (Today three of Churchwell’s sons work in prominent positions at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where Churchwell once had to view the football games from behind the fence.)
On February 19-20, 2010, Percy Priest Elementary School’s Room 5 Production Company debuted the diversity play, A Look at the Life of Robert Churchwell, Sr.: The Jackie Robinson of Journalism. The play, written by Gloria Respress-Churchwell and Chequita Winters (who also directs) tells the compelling story of Robert Churchwell, a prominent figure in the Nashville community. It focuses on the early life and contributions of Robert Churchwell, Sr. The participants were third and fourth graders.
The play exposed the students to an American trailblazer who made a positive difference in the Nashville community. Donations were accepted on behalf of The Robert Churchwell, Sr. Scholarship Fund and the Percy Priest Elementary Library Expansion Fund.
