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Brith
Julius Lester was born on January 27, 1939 in St. Louis, Missouri. Julius is the son of a Methodist Minister, and was later a converted Judaist. -
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Julius Lester
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Became Politically
After earning a bachelor's degree in English from Fisk University in 1960, Lester became politically active in the civil rights struggle. -
College
Lester received his BA from Fisk University in 1960, with a semester at San Diego State College, and an MA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1971, where he is currently a professor. -
His Work
Middle to late 1960s works such as The Angry Children of Malcolm X, Look Out Whitey, Black Power's Gon' Get Your Mama!, and Revolutionary Notes established him as an eloquent and impassioned defender of the new black militancy. -
He was hired
In 1968 he was hired to host a radio show at WBAI-FM, a public broadcasting station in New York City. Previous to this, he had served as director of the prestigious Newport Folk Festival, at a time when that gathering of alternative musicians was becoming more and more popular. -
Award's
Lester has won the Newbery Honor Award (1969) -
Children's books
In 1969 he wrote and published two children’s books; To Be a Slave, which was a Newberry Honor Book, and Black Folktales. Julius has written 43 books total. -
Professor at University of Massachusetts
From 1971-2003 Julius worked as a professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. -
A Host
In 1971 Lester began to host a public television show called Free Time. He was also hired at the University of Massachusetts--Amherst as a professor in its new Afro-American Studies Department. -
Book award
He was a finalist for the National Book Award -
Religion
He converted to Judaism in 1982. -
Other awards
He also won the Massachusetts State Professor of the Year Award (1986) -
Teamed up
Lester had also teamed up with illustrator Jerry Pinkney for a series of well-received Uncle Remus retellings, beginning with The Adventures of Brer Rabbit, published in 1987. -
Another book award
Also the National Jewish Book Award -
Retired
he didnt work for University of Massachusetts at Amherst anymore.