In Black and White, his biography of Sammy Davis, Jr. His biography of Sugar Ray Robinson, Sweet Thunder, is being adapted for the screen by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions with Golden Globe winner David Oyelowo ( Selma) as Robinson.

The Butler (for which he also served as associate producer) drew Academy Award winners Forest Whittaker, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Robin Williams, Vanessa Redgrave, Jane Fonda and Oprah Winfrey and won numerous awards and nominations. The author of eight books, Haygood continues to capture the attention of the media and some of the leading entertainment figures of our time. While at the Globe, he was honored as a Pulitzer Prize finalist for feature writing. For thirty years, he was a national and foreign correspondent for the Washington Post and Boston Globe, covering events such as Nelson Mandela’s release from prison after 27 years, the ascent of President Obama, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and his own experience as the hostage of Somali rebels. Haygood’s talent for looking at events from multiple points of view comes from his background as a journalist. Haygood uses the struggles and triumphs of the artists, and the films themselves, as a prism through which to explore Black culture and the civil rights movement. The Wall Street Journal, praised Haygood’s juxtapositions of race and class against the historic backdrop of the events of 1968-69, declaring Tigerland “a haunting, unforgettable book.” The book has won the Ohioana Book Award, was runner up for the Dayton International Literary Peace Prize and was a Hooks National Book Award Finalist. Haygood’s latest book, Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World, considered one of the Best Books of 2021 by NPR, gives an unprecedented history of Black cinema and a groundbreaking perspective on racism in modern America. His book Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, a Nation Torn Apart, and a Magical Season of Healing tells the uplifting story of teams from a poor, black segregated high school that won two state championships in the same year, uniting a racially charged community in the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King. Above all, he brings the powerful perspective that this is the history of all Americans, shaping our national identity and common values. A storyteller for our times, Haygood has earned high praise for connecting the civil rights movement and its iconic heroes with current events and enduring struggles.

The Butler by Wil Haygood