Our co-founder Stanley Nelson, 69, died at his home in DeRidder, Louisiana on June 5, 2025. Nelson was not only an accomplished journalist dedicated to the pursuit of justice for victims of racial violence, he was a passionate and dedicated professor who cared deeply about educating the next generation of journalists. Nelson was an inspiration to all of his students and will be deeply missed.

Nelson had such an impact that top journalists and a bestselling novelist have published appreciations of his life and work. See the links below.

NPR – Louisiana journalist Stanley Nelson exposed secrets of the civil rights era

Washington Post – Stanley Nelson, editor who probed cold cases of Jim Crow era, dies at 69

Natchez Democrat – ‘Humble Hero’: Editor, historian Stanley Nelson dies at age 69

Mississippi Today – Civil rights investigative journalist Stanley Nelson, ‘the best of us,’ died last week.

New York Times – Stanley Nelson, Journalist Who Investigated Klan Murders, Dies at 69