Origins & Early Life

William Manning Marable (May 13, 1950 – April 1, 2011) was an American professor of public affairs, history and African-American Studies at Columbia University. He founded and directed the Institute for Research in African-American Studies. He wrote several texts and was active in numerous progressive political causes. At the time of his death, Marable had completed a biography of human rights activist Malcolm X, titled Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention (2011).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was posthumously awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for History for this work. Marable was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. His parents were both graduates of Central State, an historically black university in nearby Wilberforce. His mother was an ordained minister and held a Ph.D. In April 1968, at the behest of his mother, 17-year-old Marable covered the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

for Dayton's black newspaper. He graduated from Jefferson Township High School shortly thereafter. Marable received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Earlham College (1971) and went on to earn his master's degree (1972) and Ph.D. (1976) in history, at the University of Wisconsin, and University of Maryland. Marable served...

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