In 1965, George Barbour was a lone Black radio reporter covering the Selma March in Alabama for KDKA Radio. He had just finished his 15-minute report on the march when a group of Caucasians with bad intentions spotted him, saying “There’s one of them. He’s alone. Let’s get him”.

However, the group quickly found out that they picked the wrong person to mess with. Barbour warned them that he was not non-violent and would take someone down with him. He outran them and caught up with the marchers. Barbour was a trailblazer and a legend in the field of journalism, media, and the Civil Rights movement. He passed away on March 28, 2023, at the age of 96.

Barbour grew up in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Oakdale High School in 1944. He later joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and rose to the rank of sergeant.

After serving, Barbour graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1951 with a degree in journalism. Barbour worked as an investigative reporter and city editor for the Pittsburgh Courier and soon became KDKA Radio’s first Black reporter in 1964.

He covered several memorable assignments, including the “Miracle of Hominy Falls” mine disaster in West Virginia and the Selma to Montgomery Marches in 1965. Barbour hosted a weekly program on KQV Radio titled, “Showcase Plus — Black Frustrations, Achievements and Hopes for the Future.”

He also served as the Assistant Director of Communications for the Western Pa. area for the Pennsylvania State Education Association from 1972-1993. Barbour was a Sunday School teacher, Deacon at First Baptist Church of Bridgeville, and loved flying. He was a devoted family man who enjoyed taking his family on Sunday drives to connect with their relatives.