Trevor W. Coleman

Trevor W. Coleman is a national award-winning journalist, communications expert and author. He is the co-author of “Crusader for Justice,” the biography of legendary federal Judge Damon J. Keith. It was published November 2013 by Wayne State University Press. He also co-authored the book “Outstanding Speech Communication Skills in the age of Social Media,” published August 2013 by McGraw Hill.

Coleman served as chief writer for former Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm and as her director of communications for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and Governor’s Southeast Michigan office. He was also a long time member of the editorial board of the Detroit Free Press where he won numerous awards for editorial and column writing prior to his appointment to the Granholm administration.

Prior to joining the Free Press, Coleman was an urban affairs and civil rights reporter for The Detroit News, an editorial writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer, reporter and columnist for the Hartford Courant and city desk reporter for the Times-Leader in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He was also a contributing editor and writer for Emerge Magazine, Black Enterprise, the NAACP Crisis Magazine and BLAC Detroit magazine. Coleman also wrote a Sunday column for several years for his hometown newspaper, The Hudson Register Star in Hudson, N.Y.

Among his many journalism awards are two 2011 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) awards for magazine commentary and general reporting, a first place 2010 Society of Professional Journalism (SPJ) Award in editorial writing for an essay he wrote on the declining quality of life in Detroit called “State of Detroit” and a third place 2010 Society of Professional Journalism (SPJ) Award in feature writing for an in-depth article he wrote on the successful $100 million class action sexual abuse lawsuit by women incarcerated in Michigan’s prison system called “Correcting Corrections.” Also, a 2001 American Diabetes Association Award of Merit for a series of editorials urging the state to expand medical coverage for diabetics; a 1999 Michigan Press Association Award for column writing; a 1999 National Association of Black Journalist Award for Commentary; the 1998 Detroit Press Foundation Michigan Journalism Award for Commentary; the 1993 Detroit Press Foundation Journalism Award for News Reporting, 1993 Best of Gannett Award for News Reporting and the 1993 and 1999 Lincoln University Unity Awards for coverage of minority and social issues.

Coleman is listed in “Who’s Who among African-Americans,” and in 2010 was listed in the “Who’s Who of Black Detroiters.” Among his many honors have been a 2009 Michigan Department of Civil Rights Dedicated Service Award, 2008 Brown Chapel AME Church Civil Rights Leadership Award, 2004 Macomb County NAACP Freedom Fund Leadership Award, 2004 Over Comers Ministries Inc. Leadership Award, 2002 Wayne Community College District Award for Community Service and the 1993 Distinguished Alumni Award, from the Kappa Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity at The Ohio State University.

He has been a guest speaker at many colleges and universities across the nation; among them Harvard Law School, The Ohio State University, the University of Michigan and University of Michigan School of Law, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, The University of Toledo Law School, Delaware State University, Schoolcraft College, Wayne Community College and many others. He has also appeared on numerous television and radio talk and public affairs programs.

A native of New York, he received his undergraduate degree in communications from The Ohio State University and is a fellow at the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism at the University of Maryland. He is also is a graduate of the American Press Institute in Reston, VA and Poynter Institute in Fla.