Founder Of Black Agenda Report Glen Ford Passes Away. Glen Ford. | Source: Glen Ford / LinkedIn
Legendary journalist and founder of the Black Agenda Report Glen Ford has died. He was 71.
Ford’s mentee and colleague, Margaret Kimberly, announced the news of his death the morning of Wednesday, July 28, on Twitter. “I am sorry to inform you that Glen Ford, founder of Black Agenda Report, and my friend, comrade, and mentor has passed away. We will share more information as we receive it. May he rest in power,” Kimberly wrote.
Described as a “certified elder of the Black journalism tribe” in his Black Agenda Report bio, Ford was an unapologetic, trusted voice in media. He pioneered several national media platforms dedicated to delivering news from a Black perspective.
They included the “Black World Report,” a weekly 30-minute news magazine and “America’s Black Forum” (ABF), which became the first nationally syndicated Black news interview program on commercial TV when it debuted in 1977.
ABF is said to have been the go-to source for Black content by international news services including Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Tass, the Soviet Union’s news agency.
Ford wasn’t done trailblazing, however. He launched “Black Agenda Reports” in 1979 to focus on various subsets within the Black community such as business, women, history and entertainment. He then launched “Rap It Up,” the first nationally syndicated hip-hop music show, in 1987, and co-founded BlackCommentator.com in 2002.
He and some staff members left in 2006 to launch a different media platform, Black Agenda Report, which is where he remained, serving as executive editor until his death.
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Overall, Ford’s career spanned more than four decades, during which he also served as a White House correspondent and Washington Bureau chief, NewsOne reported.
Born Glen Rutherford, Ford began his journalism career at the ripe age of 11, reading newswire copy on the air of his father DJ Rudy “The Deuce” Rutherford’s show. Afterward, his first full-time job was at James Brown’s Augusta, Georgia Radio station WRDW in 1970, where the Godfather of Soul shortened his last name to Ford.
An outpouring of condolences was shared on social media once news of Ford’s death spread. “He was a stalwart voice for justice with deep integrity. We will miss him greatly,” Duke Professor and reparations scholar Dr. William ‘Sandy’ Darity wrote.
“What I admired most about Glen Ford is that he was uncompromising and went hard in every debate, every essay, every public statement. He gave to you straight, no chaser every time. May the Ancestors, especially Bruce Dixon, greet him warmly,” @kzshabazz tweeted.
“Glen was a clear voice of reason in a sea of confusion and disorientation. My condolences and best wishes to everyone at @blkagendareport,” @nuhhhnsense tweeted.
“Very sad! I knew Glen as a fearless & principled fighter in the struggle against imperialism. He was deeply knowledgeable about the shenanigans of US imperialism in Africa,” @eliasamare added. “His nuanced reading of Eritrea’s struggle was unmatched, & he was always there for us. RIP comrade.”
