Izell, Booker
Booker Izell was not a journalist, but embodied those qualities: A knack for asking tough, probing questions. An eye for detail. Dogged persistence.
Izell changed the face of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and its parent company Cox Enterprises by championing diversity, attracting more employees of color and mentoring a generation of Black journalists.
As head of diversity and inclusion, he guided those changes with a combination of affability, compassion, ability to communicate and directness - when necessary.
"Booker was no pushover," said retired senior managing editor of the AJC James Mallory. "And he had a way about him of getting his point across."
Booker Izell, 82, died Feb. 16 after an extended illness. He is survived by his wife Birdie, daughter Gwendolyn, sisters Ethel Jenkins and Betty Clay and a number of nieces, nephews and goddaughters. A funeral service was held Feb. 24, 2022.
His first newspapering job at the Dayton Daily News in Ohio involved supervising youngsters who threw the paper onto doorsteps.
Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home West End Chapel is handling arrangements.
Read more about Booker Izell on AJC.com
View the obituary on Legacy.com
Funeral Home Information
Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home - West End Chapel
1003 Ralph D. Abernathy Blvd
Atlanta, GA
30310
https://williewatkins.com/?utm_campaign=legacytraffic&utm_source=legacy&utm_medium=referral
