RONALD THOMAS
Morehouse College
- Chair, Journalism in Sports, Culture, and Social Justice Program
- Associate Professor
Education
-
University of Rochester
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science -
Northwestern University
Master of Arts, Journalism
Ron Thomas has headed the Morehouse College journalism program since 2007, and he now is chair of the Journalism in Sports, Culture and Social Justice Department.
Professor Thomas teaches newswriting and internship courses and helps advise The Maroon Tiger student news organization. More than 100 of the journalism program’s former students and Maroon Tiger staff members now work in the media or the sports industry.
Before coming to Morehouse, for 34 years as a sports reporter Thomas mainly covered professional basketball, football and tennis at prominent newspapers such as the San Francisco Chronicle and USA Today, where he was its first NBA reporter.
His book “They Cleared the Lane: the NBA’s Black Pioneers” was the first one written about the integration of the NBA in 1950 after black players had been secretly banned from the league. His 1994 book chapter, “Blacks Still Rare in the Press Box,” chronicled a problem that still exists today. Last year, Thomas’ chapter “The Birth – and Rebirth – of Black Activist Athletes” was published in the book “Slavery and Its Consequences: Racism, Inequities and Exclusion in the USA.”
Thomas has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rochester, a master’s in Journalism from Northwestern, and in 2017 he received the Legacy Award from the National Association of Black Journalists.
Contact:
Email
ron.thomas@morehouse.edu
Office Location
Brawley 103R
Phone
(470) 639-0359
Office Hours
Monday and Wednesday
12:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.
AWARDS AND HONORS
- 2017, Morehouse College Professor of the Year
- National Association of Black Journalists Legacy Award
- Excellence in Sports Journalism Lifetime Achievement Award, Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport and School of Journalism
- National Association of Black Journalists award for best sports column at newspapers with circulations under 150000. Column entitled “Why So Few?” examined lack of black NFL head coaches. (1999)
ORGANIZATIONS
- National Association of Black Journalists, Co-Host, Sports Task Force Pioneer Awards
- William Monroe Trotter Group, Member
featured CONTENT
- The Buffalo News, June 23, 2020: His love of sports led to a dream career. It started at War Memorial
- HuffPost, July 24, 2013: ‘The Talk’ Has a Double Meaning for Black People
Ron Thomas: On Topic – The Great Replacement Theory
In light of the recent Buffalo shooting tragedy, Buffalo native and director of Morehouse’s Journalism, Sports, Culture and Social Justice Program, Ron Thomas joins On Topic to discuss “The Great Replacement Theory” and its current threats to democracy in America.
Realizing the Dream: Ron Thomas
As a tribute to February’s Black History Month, ESPN will feature people at colleges and universities who do work benefiting the African American community. Ron Thomas, who has been the Morehouse Journalism & Sports programs director since its inception in 2007, and 12 others will each be profiled in 30-second vignettes that run during commercial breaks of college basketball games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN-U.
Edwin Moses, John Carlos, Ron Thomas | Illuminated by Morehouse Ep2- The Olympics: Back and Forward
Olympic legends Edwin Moses ’78 and John Carlos (who shook the world by raising a fist on the victory podium) discuss their history making influence as well as Simone Biles, Sha’Carri Richardson, Simone Manuel, and the state of sports today, including athletic advocacy and rights, mental health, and diversity. Hosted by associate professor Ron Thomas, director of the new Journalism in Sports, Culture, & Social Justice major. Welcome to Illuminated by Morehouse Ep2 : The Olympics: A Look Back & The Path Forward.
