When Marshall Latimore was an infant growing up in Birmingham, he wanted only one thing from his mother — to be read to.
Mary Latimore had a small business and worked from home at her dining table.
“He would crawl under the table and bring me books he wanted me to read,” she said.
Latimore’s love for words carried over through high school, where he won countless essay contests for cash, then to Tennessee State University, where he majored in communications. And finally, to journalism where he rose to executive editor and chief content officer of the Atlanta Voice, a prominent Black newspaper founded in Atlanta in 1966.
Along the way, he mentored other young journalists, giving many their starts.
“We have had interns here that are scattered all over the country who still will check with him about projects they are working on that they want his advice on,” said Jim Washington, the Atlanta Voice president. “And we have a lot of people here who came with or were hired through Marshall. That is why we know we are in good hands. His footprints will be around here for a long time.”
Latimore — who was looked at like a son by newspaper veterans, but seen as a leader by hundreds of young Black journalists — died Tuesday in his Atlanta apartment. He was 36.
The cause of death has not been determined, but Mary Latimore said her son suffered from congestive heart failure. She talked to him Tuesday and told him he looked like he needed to go to the doctor. He told her he had an appointment set for March 15.
“His leadership cannot be replaced, but his direction will be followed as our mission continues to be a voice for the voiceless,” said Atlanta Voice publisher Janis Ware, whose father started the prominent Black newspaper in 1966.
His death rocked a tight-knit Black journalism community, and social media tributes flowed in from all over the country.
“I always knew he cared for other people because of the reaction I have gotten,” Mary Latimore said. “He was well-loved and respected. Had a sense of humor, and he loved working for the newspaper.”
Latimore was born a twin in 1984 in Birmingham. His brother, Marcus Latimore, died in 2019 in an unsolved homicide.
“I was his favorite girl. He always would call me to make sure I had something to eat,” Mary Latimore said. “If I said no, he would call and order me something to eat.”
Latimore joined the Atlanta Voice in 2017 after working as a designer, art director and executive editor for publications in Nashville, Birmingham, Austin and Houston. Washington said Latimore was spearheading the organization’s move into multi-media — producing content on social media, digitally and video.
Latimore summed up the importance of the Black media and the need for Black storytellers in the February newsletter of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists.
“Our purpose is ensuring that the people who have been the most oppressed and disenfranchised have a voice and are able to tell their stories that are based on the truth,” he said.
A long-time member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Latimore mentored young Black journalists. And he was often joined at NABJ conventions by his mother.
“When they had the convention in New Orleans, he sent me a bus ticket from Birmingham and I went up there to be with him,” Mary Latimore said.
Latimore was also a mentor for General Motor’s “Discover The Unexpected” program, which places students from historically black colleges and universities with historically Black newspapers for summer internships. He mentored and granted many students attending Georgia State University, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College their first bylines.
“Marshall stood in the epicenter of this Atlanta treasure as we have transformed The Atlanta Voice into a multi-media powerhouse set to grow our legacy for generations to come,” Ware said.
Latimore also is survived by his mother Mary and brothers, Mitchell, Michael and Martin Latimore.
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