Oneita Jackson: Letters from Mrs. Grundy

Literati is pleased to host Oneita Jackson in support of her books, Letters from Mrs. Grundy and Nappy-Headed Negro Syndrome.

Oneita Jackson is a satirist and Detroit cab driver who has an English degree from Howard University.  She was a copy editor for 11 years at the Detroit Free Press.  During that time, she served as public editor, wrote music reviews, edited on the Features, Nation/World, and Web desks, and received awards for her headlines.  She was a member of the Accuracy and Credibility Committee and the Editorial Endorsement Board for the 2008 City of Detroit mayoral and City Council elections.   She also wrote the “O Street” column for three years; it received the newspaper’s 2008 Columnist of the Year award.  She stopped writing the column in May 2010 and returned to the News Copy Desk, where she stayed until August 2012.  Her next adventure was driving a yellow cab.  Her book, Nappy-Headed Negro Syndrome,  features observations and commentary on people and culture.  These stories about identity are written by a woman who is uniquely, unabashedly, and extraordinarily herself. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Oneita spent her summers in New York City and has lived in Washington, D.C., and Albany, N.Y.  She now lives in Detroit. Oneita was recently profiled by Mercedes-Benz.