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P. D. East
Percy Dale East (November 26, 1921 - December 31, 1971) was the editor and publisher of The Petal Paper in Petal, Mississippi, where he represented the small, and generally cautious, segment of whi...view morePercy Dale East (November 26, 1921 - December 31, 1971) was the editor and publisher of The Petal Paper in Petal, Mississippi, where he represented the small, and generally cautious, segment of white southern society that recognized, and tried to change, the racial injustice that defined the South in the first half of the 20th century.
Born in Columbia, Mississippi, he was the adopted son of James and Bertie East and grew up in South Mississippi. As a child, East was often confronted with the stigma of being a “sawmill kid," and developed a combative spirit that characterized his personality throughout his life. As a teenager, he worked in a general store where he encountered first-hand the economic exploitation of African American patrons.
In 1947 he began studying journalism and writing at Mississippi Southern College (now The University of Southern Mississippi) and became the editor of two Hattiesburg labor union newspapers, The Union Review and The Local Advocate, in 1951.
He established The Petal Paper in 1953 and used it as a forum to promote his belief that African-Americans should, and must, receive fair treatment and legal equality. By 1959, his caustic editorials and liberal racial views had resulted in the loss of all his local subscribers and advertisers; however, The Petal Paper survived, with sporadic publication, until 1971, through donations and subscriptions from liberal supporters in other areas of the country.
Due to persistent threats and harassment relating to his civil rights activities and opinions, East left Mississippi in 1963, and relocated to Fairhope, Alabama. For the remainder of his life, East continued to monitor civil rights activities in Hattiesburg, as well as the nation, lending his voice and support where possible.
He died in Alabama in 1971 aged 50.view less
Books by P. D. East
The Magnolia Jungle: The Life, Times, and Education of a Southern Editor