THE DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR THE BLACK EXPERIENCE
Search Results
Paul Brock
Maker interview details
Interviews
- June 8, 2003
- May 14, 2003
Profession
- Category:
MediaMakers
- Occupation(s):
Photojournalist
Journalist
Birthplace
- Born: February 10, 1932
- Birth Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Favorites
- Favorite Color: Deep Blue
- Favorite Food: Sashimi
- Favorite Time of Year: Late May, Early June
Biography
Distinguished journalist Paul Brock was an only child born in Washington, D.C., on February 10, 1932. After attending Howard University in Washington, D.C., Brock set out on his career path.
Brock spent eighteen years as a radio journalist before moving into television producing and reporting, starting at WBNB in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. From there, Brock went on to become news director at WETA and later WHUR in Washington, D.C. While with WETA, he was credited with bringing the first live coverage of a congressional committee hearing ever aired. Brock was also the originator, producer and chief fundraiser of the NAACP Nightly Convention Highlights program that aired on PBS from 1978 to 1983. Later, Brock served as producer, writer, editor and national distributor of the NAACP Voter Education public service announcements. The success of this was a launching point for him to move into a position as fundraiser, assistant producer, and vice president of the company that produced American Playhouse. In 1994, Brock became media coordinator of the Village Foundation, an organization working to "repair the breach" between African American males and the rest of society.
Brock left the Village Foundation in 2002, but he remains active with the NAACP, having been with the organization since 1948. He has also served as the deputy director of communications for the Democratic National Committee, vice president for news and operations at American Urban Radio Network, and is a senior fellow for public affairs at Howard University's Institute for the Study of Educational Policy. He has also been a member of the National Association of Black Journalists since 1974. In 1975, Jet and Ebony both recognized him as Man of the Year, and in 1983, Brock received the Black Filmmakers Award for Producer of the Year. Brock has four children and a wife, Virginia.
Brock passed away on March 15, 2021.
Previews from the Digital Archive
Watch the full interview in the Digital Archive
- Slating of Paul Brock's interview
- Paul Brock lists his favorites
- Paul Brock describes a relative of his, West Ford, who was a slave of John Augustus Washington
- Paul Brock talks about the possibility that his relative, West Ford, was the son of President George Washington
- Paul Brock describes his mother's family background in Gum Springs, Virginia
- Paul Brock describes his father's family background
- Paul Brock describes his mother's childhood and career
- Paul Brock describes his childhood living near Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York and the people that lived near him, pt. 1
- Paul Brock describes his childhood living near Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York and the people that lived near him, pt. 2
- Paul Brock describes the sights, sounds, and smells of his childhood in Brandywine, Maryland
- Paul Brock describes his experience in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
- Paul Brock describes moving back to Washington, D.C. in 1945 and attending Shore Junior High School and Armstrong Manual Training School
- Paul Brock describes the one time he met his biological father, William Brock
- Paul Brock describes his childhood interest in reading and writing
- Paul Brock describes his mentors and prominent African Americans who lived in his Washington, D.C. community
- Paul Brock describes his social life in the Yadrutas Club in Washington, D.C.
- Paul Brock talks about his favorite subjects in high school
- Paul Brock describes his intention to major in pharmacy after graduating from high school.
- Paul Brock describes his employment during the two years he studied at the Howard University College of Pharmacy in Washington, D.C.
- Paul Brock describes his experience in the U.S. Air Force and in the National Security Agency
- Paul Brock describes leaving the National Security Agency, his wife, and Washington, D.C. to open a business in St. Thomas in 1960
- Paul Brock describes moving to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and gaining custody of his children
- Paul Brock describes working for IBM and the radio station in the U.S. Virgin Islands and being hired in television
- Paul Brock describes anchoring television news and creating a radio jazz show in St. Thomas
- Paul Brock describes returning to the United States to work in radio after the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965
- Paul Brock describes being news director at WETA radio in Washington, D.C. and being interviewed to be news director of NPR
- Paul Brock describes his experience as news director for WHUR in Washington, D.C. in the early 1970s
- Paul Brock describes the formation of the Washington Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists
- Paul Brock describes Max Robinson, HistoryMaker Maureen Bunyan, and the founding of the National Association of Black Journalists in 1975
- Paul Brock describes his two interns at the Democratic National Committee, Maurice Williams and HistoryMaker Barry Mayo
- Paul Brock describes the murder of Maurice Williams by Hanafi Muslims at the Washington, D.C. City Hall in 1977
- Paul Brock describes his being a vice president for news and operations at the Mutual Black Network
- Paul Brock talks about the difficulty of running Mutual Black Network and its importance
- Paul Brock describes reporting on the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida in 1972 for WHUR-FM
- Paul Brock describes his experience of the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida in 1972
- Paul Brock talks about HistoryMaker Basil Paterson and the momentum of African American politicians between the 1972 and 1976 Democratic National Conventions
- Paul Brock talks about how the political perspective of African Americans contrasts with that of white American voters
- Paul Brock describes the Democratic National Committee after the 1972 election
- Paul Brock describes the murder of Maurice Williams by Hanafi Muslims at the Washington, D.C. City Hall in 1977
- Paul Brock talks about his proximity to the Watergate burglary and the guard who discovered the break-in, Frank Wills
- Paul Brock describes Hamilton Jordan's strategy for convincing Democratic delegates to select Jimmy Carter as the Democratic nominee in 1976
- Paul Brock reflects on the success of President Jimmy Carter's campaign strategy
- Slating of Paul Brock's interview
- Paul Brock describes the disappointment of the Democratic coalition in Jimmy Carter's presidency
- Paul Brock describes Ted Kennedy's campaign against President Jimmy Carter during the 1980 presidential election
- Paul Brock describes his response to President Jimmy Carter's firing of HistoryMaker Andrew Young in 1979
- Paul Brock describes the issues that the NAACP spoke on during the 1980 presidential election
- Paul Brock describes his role in HistoryMaker Reverend Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign
- Paul Brock talks about HistoryMaker Milton Coleman's interview with HistoryMaker Reverend Jesse Jackson during his 1984 campaign
- Paul Brock talks about HistoryMaker Reverend Jesse Jackson's speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention
- Paul Brock describes HistoryMaker Reverend Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign strategy
- Paul Brock describes his experience with American Playhouse, pt. 1
- Paul Brock describes his experience with American Playhouse, pt. 2
- Paul Brock describes the life story of Denmark Vesey
- Paul Brock describes the casting and reception of "Denmark Vesey's Rebellion"
- Paul Brock describes his second television production, "Solomon Northrup's Odyssey"
- Paul Brock describes the reception of "Solomon's Northrup's Odyssey" and the loss of funding for the his series with American Playhouse
- Paul Brock describes the difficulty African American historical films have reaching a teenage audience
- Paul Brock describes his experience at a screening of "Solomon Northrup's Odyssey" in Santa Monica, California
- Paul Brock describes the importance of understanding history
- Paul Brock describes how covering the Bakke case in the press informed his understanding of the black community and white journalists, pt. 1
- Paul Brock describes how covering the Bakke case in the press informed his understanding of the black community and white journalists, pt. 2
- Paul Brock describes the details of the Bakke case
- Paul Brock describes his current involvement in protecting affirmative action
- Paul Brock describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community
- Paul Brock reflects upon his legacy
- Paul Brock describes how he would like to be remembered