Contact us 1.800.698.2536
Search by Speaker Name or Topic

Dorothy Butler Gilliam

Journalist; First African-American Female Reporter at The Washington Post; Author of "Trailblazer: A Pioneering Journalist’s Fight to Make the Media Look More like America"

Dorothy Butler Gilliam
Travels From Travels From:
Please Contact
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Live Event: Please Contact
Virtual Event: Please Contact
More Fee Info
Categories Categories:
Categories Categories:
Authors, Black Heritage, Black History Month, Civil Rights, Journalism, Social Activism, Social Justice
REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

Dorothy Butler Gilliam Biography

Dorothy Pearl Butler Gilliam is an American journalist who was the first African-American female reporter at The Washington Post.

Gilliam started her career at The Washington Post in October 1961 as a reporter on the City Desk. She was the first African-American female reporter to be hired by the newspaper. In 1979, she began writing a popular column for the Post, covering education, politics, and race; the column ran regularly in the Metro section for 19 years.

In addition to her career at The Washington Post, she has been an activist dedicated to public service, from her days helping to organize protests against the New York Daily News after it fired two-thirds of its African-American staff, to her tenure as president of the National Association of Black Journalists from 1993 to 1995. Gilliam briefly taught journalism at American University and Howard University.

Ms. Gilliam is a co‑founder, former chair, and current board member of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (MIJE), which has trained thousands of people of color as traditional and multimedia journalists and managers for print, television, and new media. She has taught in MIJE’s summer editing and reporting training programs and mentored many journalists over the years. She is a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists and of the Unity Journalists of Color. She was a leader of the first Unity Convention, held in Atlanta in 1994. An estimated eight thousand journalists of all races and ethnicities attended that groundbreaking conference.

In the past dozen years, Ms.Gilliam has become a national leader in creating pathways for underserved urban high school youth to consider media careers. In her final years at The Washington Post, she founded the Young Journalists Development Program and was most recently founder-director of the Prime Movers Media program at George Washington University. This program operated within the school systems of Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, sending professional journalists and interns from George Washington and Temple Universities into high schools to help students create or revitalize school media. It still operates in Philadelphia city schools. Through this position, Ms. Gilliam made many contacts throughout the nation in scholastic journalism at high schools, colleges, and universities.

In 2004, while she held the position of J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Fellow at The George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, Gilliam founded Prime Movers Media, the nation's first journalism mentorship program for underserved students at urban schools. The program sends veteran journalists and university interns to mentor high school student journalists in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. The Washington Press Club awarded Gilliam its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.

Gilliam is a well-known public speaker who has addressed groups in sizes up to several thousand. She was featured in a well-received 2005 documentary entitled “Freedom’s Call”, with photographer Ernest Withers, about their work together as civil rights journalists. She is also featured in two additional documentaries, “Southern Journalists Who Covered the Civil Rights Movement” and “Hope & Fury: MLK, The Movement and The Media.”

In 2019, Gilliam published "Trailblazer: a pioneering journalist's fight to make the media look more like America." In this compelling memoir, she recounts her trailblazing career during the turbulence of the Vietnam War, the civil rights and women’s movements, and Watergate, and looks beyond her personal journey to examine efforts to diversify the staffs of news organizations and other challenges currently facing the press.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Dorothy Butler Gilliam and other top speakers and celebrities.

BOOK Dorothy Butler Gilliam

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/31/2024.

Dorothy Butler Gilliam Videos

  • Dorothy Butler Gilliam Discusses Trailblazer with Kojo Nnamdi
    Dorothy Butler Gilliam Discusses "Trailblazer" with Kojo Nnamdi
    Dorothy Butler Gilliam discusses her book, "Trailblazer", at Politics and Prose. Gilliam started writing for The Washington Post in 1961, becoming...
  • Dorothy Butler Gilliam - Why the Media Is More Important Than Ever
    Dorothy Butler Gilliam - Why the Media Is More Important Than Ever
    “Trailblazer” author Dorothy Butler Gilliam talks about being The Washington Post’s first black woman reporter and her coverage of the civil...
  • Dorothy Butler Gilliam: 'Diversity and inclusion are worth fighting for
    Dorothy Butler Gilliam: 'Diversity and inclusion are worth fighting for
    Dorothy Butler Gilliam, a civil rights activist and the first African-American female reporter at The Washington Post, delivers the 2018 keynote...
See All Videos »

FAQs on booking Dorothy Butler Gilliam

  • How do I book Dorothy Butler Gilliam to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dorothy Butler Gilliam for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dorothy Butler Gilliam, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dorothy Butler Gilliam or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for Dorothy Butler Gilliam

    Speaking fees for Dorothy Butler Gilliam, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dorothy Butler Gilliam are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dorothy Butler Gilliam, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Dorothy Butler Gilliam speak about?

    Dorothy Butler Gilliam is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Black Heritage, Black History Month, Civil Rights, Journalism, Social Activism, Social Justice.

  • Where does Dorothy Butler Gilliam travel from?

    Dorothy Butler Gilliam generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is Dorothy Butler Gilliam’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Dorothy Butler Gilliam for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dorothy Butler Gilliam for your next private or corporate function.

  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dorothy Butler Gilliam or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Dorothy Butler Gilliam is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Dorothy Butler Gilliam for your event is available upon request. Dorothy Butler Gilliam generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Joy-Ann Reid, Julianne Malveaux, Nkechi Taifa, Ijeoma Oluo and Dr. Bernice King. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dorothy Butler Gilliam for an upcoming live or virtual event.

BOOK Dorothy Butler Gilliam

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

Need Quick Answers?

We are happy to help! Call us to speak with a booking agent about your event or specific speaker request.

Sarah Miller
phone   1.800.698.2536
Our celebrity booking agents can:

  • Gauge interest and check availability for speaking engagements, appearances or corporate events

  • Provide you with the speaking fee to book Dorothy Butler Gilliam or other celebrity appearance fees

  • Give you personal recommendations for the best keynote speakers or celebrities

  • Assist you with any questions you have throughout the talent booking process

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP