Acclaimed biographer James McGrath Morris brings into focus the riveting life of pioneering journalist Ethel Payne, known as The First Lady of the Black Press. For decades, Ethel Lois Payne has been hidden in the shadows of history. Now, Morris skillfully illuminates the life of this ambitious, influential, and groundbreaking woman, from her childhood growing up in South Chicago to her career as a journalist and network news commentator, reporting on some of the most crucial events in modern American history.