Peter Baily

Born on February 24, 1938, in Columbus, Georgia, and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, A. Peter Bailey served in the U.S. Army before attending Howard University and later moving to Harlem. In 1964, after hearing Malcolm X speak, he became a founding member of the Organization of Afro-American Unity and edited its newsletter, Blacklash.

Bailey went on to build a wide-ranging career in journalism and publishing. He worked as an associate editor at Ebony from 1968 to 1975, contributed to outlets including Jet, Essence, The New York Times, and the New York Daily News, and also taught and lectured at colleges and universities.

As an author, he is known for books that blend firsthand experience with cultural history, including Witnessing Brother Malcolm X: The Master Teacher, Seventh Child: A Family Memoir of Malcolm X with Rodnell Collins, and Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey. His writing is especially valued for its personal perspective on influential Black leaders and artists.