‘He wanted to inspire’: Author educator and journalist Charles Coulter dies at 70
When Lewis Diuguid began working at The Kansas City Star as a reporter and photographer, the newsroom was a very different place. With only a few Black employees on staff, he found himself part of a small group of reporters who often had to work twice as hard to earn the respect of their white colleagues.
A few months after he joined, Charles Coulter was hired as a sports reporter. Diuguid remembers his colleague and friend fondly as a dedicated, hard working, and inspiring journalist. Coulter, who worked for The Kansas City Star for many years as a sports reporter and later as a member of the editorial board, passed away on March 24 at the age of 70.
Diuguid recalls the joy and excitement among the Black journalists at The Star, recognizing that Coulter would be a valuable addition — not just to the newspaper, but to local journalism as a whole.
“I was glad he was there,” said Diuguid. “I used to joke that there were so few Black staffers at the newspaper that you could count all of us on your hands and still have enough fingers to smoke a cigarette and hold a beer.”
Diuguid recalls that, for the first time in his life, he saw companies making an effort to hire Black employees in the name of workplace diversity. While he was glad to see Black professionals like himself and Coulter finally getting opportunities, he believes many were hired with the unspoken expectation that they would fail.
That pressure, he says, deeply influenced Coulter’s approach to journalism. Driven by a sense of responsibility, Coulter dedicated decades to serving the community through his reporting.
Colleagues remember Coulter as a passionate leader who used his work to uplift and inspire his community.
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, into a family that survived the Tulsa Race Massacre, Coulter’s deep love and commitment to the Black community were instilled in him when he was a young child.
His wife, Isabelle Abarr, recalls how his upbringing shaped the man he became. She says Coulter often told her that his path to journalism began early, when people in his community recognized his talent for writing, history, and research.
“His mother taught him to read before he even started school,” said Abarr. “He said he always loved words and while in school he had a teacher who taught journalism so he was very encouraging. “
Coulter spent much of his early life looking up to Civil Rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. His wife says that from a young age, he felt a need to strive for excellence—to be a living example of what Black people could achieve when given the opportunity.
He excelled academically at Booker T. Washington High School, graduating as valedictorian in 1972. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. Later, he moved to Kansas City to pursue a master’s degree in history at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and made the metro area his home.
As a journalist, Coulter worked hard to become a role model in the Black community, much like his own teachers had been for him. He believed that if young Black people could see professionals in roles they were once told were out of reach, they would be inspired to aim higher and dream bigger.
Former colleagues, including Diuguid, remember Coulter’s deep passion and unwavering dedication to his work.
Diuguid recalls that working as a field reporter in the late 1970s came with its own risks and challenges, but Coulter never let those pressures affect the quality of his reporting or diminish his commitment to the community he served.
“You didn’t become a journalist back then who was Black without carrying the responsibility of having to be very good at what you did,” said Diuguid. “We had to do good to show that Black people really did know what we were doing.”
In addition to his work as a journalist, Coulter was also an author and educator. In 2006, he published “Take Up the Black Man’s Burden: Kansas City’s African American Communities, 1865–1939”, a book that explores the history of Black residents in Kansas City from the end of slavery through World War II.
Coulter also served as an adjunct professor at both the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the Kansas City Art Institute, where he taught courses focused on African American studies.
Coulter’s wife said one event that held deep meaning for her husband each year was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Long before it became a federal holiday, Coulter was a strong advocate for honoring Dr. King’s legacy and emphasizing the ongoing importance of keeping his dream of equality alive.
Every year, Coulter dedicated his time to speaking at community events held in Dr. King’s honor. He would share stories about his family’s history in Tulsa, the mentor who first recognized his potential, and the enduring need for the community to come together in unity and purpose.
“I think he wanted to inspire people like he was,” said Abarr. “Every year he would talk about things that King spoke about that was still relevant in today’s times. Charles believed that everyone had an obligation to try to change the world.”
While Diuguid acknowledges the significant increase in Black journalists in Kansas City over the past several decades, he believes that trailblazers like Coulter were essential in paving the way. He hopes that the next generation of Black journalists will learn about Coulter’s legacy and recognize the impact of his contributions to local journalism.
“He was someone who was very passionate about the work,” said Diuguid. “He always believed in doing a good job, very passionate about the people in this city and always wanting to help.”
Other Remembrances
Robery Woodley
Robery Woodley, business owner, died March 8. She was 82.
Woodley was born on Dec. 20, 1942, in Forest, Mississippi, to Robert Tipton and Vernice Thompson. When she was 12 she and her family moved to Kansas City where Woodley lived out the rest of her life.
She graduated from Central High School in 1960 and later graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a degree in dietetics. While in college, she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Through her sorority and its mission of service, Woodley stayed connected to her community.
In 1969 she married Jimmy Woodley and together they co-founded Woodley Building Maintenance.
She is remembered by her children, Tiffany and Terry Woodley; brother, Rochester Tipton; along with a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Shelvy Lee Convert Sr.
Shelvy Lee Convert Sr., retired car salesman died March 10. He was 86.
Covert was born on Jan. 12, 1939, in Dumas, Arkansas to Tasge Convert and Ida Bell Pryor.
Having a life-long passion for cars, Covert found a career working in the automotive field as a car salesman. He worked for several dealerships in the area for 68 years until his retirement this January.
He married Shirley Convert in 1962 and the couple had two children.
He is remembered by his children, Shelvy L. Convert Jr. and Anthony Convert; siblings, Benjamin Pryor, Daisy Barnes and Lorraine Moore-Smith; along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
This story was originally published April 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
