HAMPTON, Va. — The Hampton University community is mourning the loss of former dean and groundbreaking journalist Tony Brown.
The university says Brown died June 17 in Newport News from heart disease. He was 93.
Brown was the host and executive producer of "Tony Brown's Journal," PBS's longest-running series. He amplified the voices of the Black community at a time when Black representation was rare in media.
Activism remained central to Brown's life's work, Hampton University said he organized a 1963 civil rights march in Detroit featuring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that drew an estimated 500,000 participants and is believed to have included one of the earliest public deliveries of King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. His commitment to civil rights extended well beyond that march, shaping every chapter of his career in media and education.
Brown also served as the first dean of the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communication from 2004 to 2009 and was inducted into the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communication Hall of Fame in 2012.
Current Dean Julia Wilson says Brown's legacy will continue to inspire journalists to inform, uplift and create change.
“Tony Brown was more than an award-winning journalist; he was a visionary who expanded the role of journalism as a force for education, empowerment, and social progress,” Wilson said. “Through his groundbreaking work in the media, he challenged generations to think critically, pursue truth with courage, and tell stories that elevated the Black experience with dignity and excellence.”
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