Trailblazing Alabama Reporter is Dead

Norman Lumpkin, a well known former WSFA (Montgomery) 12 News reporter, passed away Tuesday morning, confirms Ross Clayton Funeral Home.

Lumpkin was a trailblazer. He became the first African-American television news reporter in Alabama's capital city when WSFA-TV hired him in 1969. He later became the first African-American President of the Alabama AP Broadcasters Association.

One of Norman's first major assignments was coverage of Governor George Wallace's re-election campaign in 1970. Despite the racial tension of the era, in which he was purposefully given false information by some in order to discredit his work, Norman pushed on and ultimately gained the respect of politicians and viewers for his work. Wallace, who was a staunch segregationist, made sure Norman was invited to each campaign event.

Norman earned numerous awards for his investigative reports during his years with WSFA 12 News and mentored a considerable number of fellow journalists.

After leaving WSFA 12 News in the 1990s, Norman worked as the News Director at Montgomery's ABC affiliate.

H/T WSFA