It is with great sadness that NPF reports one of our fellows, Marshall Latimore, Executive Editor and Chief Content Officer of The Atlanta Voice, has died.
He was a two-time National Press Foundation Fellow, including this year’s statehouse program and one as a college student.
From The Atlanta Voice
The cause of death has not been determined. He was 36 years-old.
The Atlanta Voice reports that Latimore was a Birmingham, Alabama native, and moved to Atlanta from Nashville, Tennessee, where he lived four years, serving as executive editor of StayOnTheGo Magazine.
“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,” said Janis Ware, publisher of The Atlanta Voice.
“Marshall’s leadership, vision and his unique ability to shepherd up-and-coming journalists are some of the ingredients to his flame I seek to never extinguish,” said Itoro Umontuen, The Atlanta Voice Digital Managing Editor. “More than a co-worker, he was a brother to me and those who knew him best, harkening back to our college days at Tennessee State University.”
Latimore previously served as a graphic designer for Gannett, the Alabama Media Group, Gatehouse Media, before becoming art director for the Houston Defender Media Group.
The Atlanta Voice also reports that Latimore’s commitment to journalism was extensive. He mentored young Black journalists associated with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). He was also a mentor for the General Motor’s “Discover The Unexpected” program, which took Black journalists for Historically Black Colleges & Universities and placed them with historical Black newspapers for a summer internship. He personally mentored students from Georgia State University, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College.
Latimore held membership in a number of other journalism organizations in addition to NABJ, including the Society for News Design, the National Newspaper Publishers Association and the Online News Association.
The Atlanta Voice says his family is in the process of organizing a memorial service, and that they are planning to set up a scholarship fund in Latimore’s name. He is survived by his mother Mary and brothers, Mitchell, Michel, and Martin.
