William Branch

William Blackwell Branch (September 11, 1927 – November 3, 2019) was an American playwright who was also involved in many aspects of entertainment, including journalism, media production, editing, a short-lived career acting for television, as well as talking on the radio. He “wrote, directed, and produced extensively for the stage, television, radio, and his own media consulting and production firm”.

Branch attended high schools in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. He went on to earn his undergraduate degree in Science at Northwestern University in 1949, then continued his education at Columbia University, graduating with his M.F.A. in dramatic arts in 1958. Branch later studied at Yale University, after which he taught at Cornell University and William Paterson College from 1994 to 1996, before beginning a career in entertainment, focusing specifically drama.

Branch involved himself in the entertainment world because he “became convinced that only African Americans could truthfully write and produce theater about African Americans.” –Wikipedia