Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author Harold Jackson, Class of 1975, returned to Baker University for his 50th class reunion during Golden Alumni Weekend. In this exclusive sit-down interview, Jackson reflects on how his time at Baker shaped his voice as a journalist, and how those formative experiences led to a distinguished 45-year career in the newsroom. As a student in the early 1970s, Jackson wrote for The Baker Orange, covering civil rights, environmental justice, and the Vietnam War. 

He was a member of Mungano, Baker’s Black student union, and credits the mentorship of Jesse Milan, Baker’s first Black professor, with helping guide his path. In 1991, Jackson won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing while at the Birmingham News. He later served as editorial page editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer and has received honors from the National Association of Black Journalists and the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. 

Jackson recently released his memoir, Under the Sun: A Black Journalist’s Journey — a powerful account of growing up in segregated Birmingham, discovering his calling in journalism, and navigating a predominantly white profession over four decades.