Legendary journalist and broadcaster Gil Noble died last week at the age of 80. Noble, best known for his ground-breaking program “Like It is” succumbed to a long battle with illness following a stroke.
I certainly remember watching Noble on ABC in New York City. His program was the only one I can remember at the time to focus on issues pertinent to the African-American community.
During Noble’s career he interviewed celebrities, luminaries, heads of state, including President Nelson Mandela of South Africa and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe; entertainment icons Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne; sports stars Muhammad Ali and Arthur Ashe; and politicos such as Jesse Jackson to Louis Farrakhan. Noble also produced documentaries on W. E. B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Charlie Parker.
Noble is survived by his wife and five children. The family is asking that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Gil Noble Archives, P.O. Box 43138, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043. Proceeds will be used to preserve the archives so that Noble’s mission of educating the community about its culture and history will continue.
R.I.P. GIL NOBLE…
