Congratulations to former Chicago Sun-Times columnist and one of my favorite people in the world, Mary Mitchell! She joined the ranks of other local media greats last Friday at a ceremony to hang her portrait on the wall of the Billy Goat Tavern.
With this honor, Mary joins Chicago journalism’s unofficial hall of fame alongside the portraits of other legendary reporters, columnists, broadcasters and editors that grace the tavern’s walls, like Studs Terkel, Roger Ebert, Tim Weigel, and Mike Royko. She also makes history as the first woman of color and only the 3rd woman with this distinction (along with former First Lady of Chicago Maggie Daley and Annie Sweeney of the Chicago Tribune). Mary said, “To have a voice and a place on the wall is a great honor.”
The original Billy Goat Tavern on lower Michigan Avenue across from Tribune Tower and a block or so away from the old Sun-Times building was a regular spot for newspaper folks to grab their meals, drinks and just hang out.
Mary filed her final column a little over a year ago after being at the Sun-Times for 34 years. She was the only Black woman with a daily column, and for decades, used her platform to “hold power to account while imploring all to be better neighbors.”
Mary grew up on the edge of the Low End in the Dearborn Homes and at 40, became the oldest intern at the Sun-Times news desk, working the phones while finishing her bachelor's degree.
She’s received other prestigious journalism awards, including the Award of Excellence from the National Association of Black Journalists, the Studs Terkel Award from the Chicago Media Workshop, and a Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headline Club.
& Remember to always celebrate your magic! xo