Thomas Greer blazed a trail to the top
By Daryl Obie. N.C. A&T
Thomas H. Greer, one of the most influential journalists in the 20th century, broke barriers in 1983 at The Cleveland Plain Dealer when he became its first Black sports editor and its first Black executive editor.
Greer also worked in sports departments in Trenton, New Jersey, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. His legacy at those newspapers is undeniable, but he had the highest profile in Cleveland, where rose from sports editor to managing editor to executive editor to editor and then to vice president. Greer’s diversity efforts helped the award-winning Plain Dealer become one of the most diverse newsrooms in the nation.
Burly and blunt, Greer had a directness that mirrored his journalism. He left an indelible imprint on America journalism through his public persona and his role as a Pulitzer Prize juror. His accomplishments inside and outside newsrooms earned him induction into the Region VI Hall of Fame of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Throughout his career, he opened doors for younger Black journalists and helped shape the future of the profession. In March 2011, Greer died of cancer. He was 69.
Daryl Obie is a senior multimedia journalism student from Raeigh, N.C.