Civil Rights Activist, Longtime Journalist Maynard Eaton Dies At 73

ATLANTA, GA — Maynard Eaton, a 73-year-old civil rights activist and eight-time Emmy award-winning journalist, died late Tuesday, according to a media report Wednesday.

Eaton died after a battle with lung cancer, the Eaton Media Group confirmed to 11Alive. Eaton was a former 11Alive reporter, according to the outlet.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens noted in a statement Eaton's decades of journalistic work in Atlanta, such as covering happenings in the Atlanta City Hall and the Georgia State Capitol.

"An eight-time Emmy Award winner, his persistence and dedication to informing his audiences earned him numerous awards, but also the trust and respect of the community," Dickens said in the statement. "Maynard worked to ensure Black voices were heard, and that Black communities had the same access to information as others—and Atlanta is a better city because of those efforts. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”

The Atlanta City Council called Eaton "a leading figure in the media industry." The City Council said he played a significant role in molding journalism such as in covering Georgia politics.

"He worked to ensure that the experiences and perspectives of Black communities were heard and helped to guide and mentor young journalists," Eaton said. "As we reflect on his legacy, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”

Prior to his passing, Eaton was an endowed professor at Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications at his alma mater, Hampton University in Virginia. According to his university profile, he graduated from Hampton in 1971.

His career includes roles as a broadcast journalist, political columnist, media/public relations consultant, freelance writer, executive editor and journalism professor, according to the university.

He was one of America's first Black news reporters on primetime T.V. He has written for the Spelman College Messenger and the National Association of Black Journalist's Black News and Views, according to the university.

Eaton has also served as the national communications director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was a southeast field producer for USA Today and BET television and was writer/talent for Ebony Journal and Prime Time.

His accolades include being named the 2008 Journalist of the Year by the Rainbow/PUSH civil rights group and winning Emmys while at 11Alive, WPLG-TV in Miami, Fla., and WVEC-TV in Hampton.

Eaton won two awards from the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists for writing and reporting, including the Journalist of the Year award in 1985 from the AABJ and several honors from the NABJ, according to the university.