PRIDE Month: E. Lynn Harris

Razorback Yearbook

E. Lynn Harris when he was editor of the Razorback yearbook in 1977.

Alumnus E. Lynn Harris became well-known as a fiction writer, a gay man and a Razorback. While pursuing his Bachelor of Arts in journalism during the 1970s, Harris became the first Black man to cheerlead at the school and served as the first Black editor of a publication at the U of A.

As an author, Harris was a prolific writer, including 10 consecutive New York Times bestsellers. He was popular in his career for fictional stories that addressed taboo topics, especially the experiences of gay Black men. Harris returned to the U of A in 2004 to teach African American fiction until his untimely death five years later.

For more information, read the university's Portrait of Progress about Harris or go to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History entry.