1962: Most Influential Negro in the US?

Who was the most influential Negro in the U.S. in 1962?

In the February 8, 1962 issue of EBONY magazine, the magazine published a 9-question poll of 500 Washington, D.C. press, radio, and TV correspondents on the status of Negroes in the U.S. And although answered by a majority of white correspondents since Negro employment was limited within the fields, one of the questions asked was: "What Negro leader would you choose as the most impressive, dependable, and efficient?"