About Photojournalist Haywood Galbreath

Haywood Galbreath
History making Photo/Journalist, Actor, Motivational speaker, Media / Human rights Advocate

Haywood Galbreath was born in Mayfield, Kentucky in 1956. He is the oldest of six children. At age ten, after watching a network news program, describing how Black men weren't with their families, Haywood recognized that as being misinformation. In what he now describes as the voice of God speaking to him spoken to him telling him that the medium known as media, whether it be television news programs, television, motion pictures, or the printed word, would be the basis of how people would look at people of color and would determine the good or bad of those people for years to come. At that point, Haywood decided to become a photojournalist, as well as an actor and stuntman to combat the negative images of Black people.

In 1980 Haywood relocated to Fort Lauderdale. In 1984, he began working for WSVN-7, in Miami, where he was a sound technician as part of the two-man news crew Haywood’s desire was to become a photojournalist and he would carry his still camera with him on assignments attempting to capture newsworthy still images to sell to the local newspapers. They were not interested most of time but one day Haywood had the opportunity to capture news photos of at that time the only woman two have been on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list after capturing the images Haywood called the local newspapers and wire service all the newspapers and wire services purchased the image and the wire service sent the image all over the world that night! From that point on when Haywood call the newspapers they no longer ask the question, what do you want? The question became what do you have for us today?

Haywood at the same time began to often question management's decisions on news stories involving people of color. This led to management’s decision at the TV stations to show more positive images of African Americans. Having an entrepreneurial spirit, in 1986 Haywood established HGSTAR1NEWS PHOTOS and immediately became very active in news coverage and photo documentation of events taking place in Miami. The Miami Herald was one of HGSTAR1's major clients using HGSTAR1 news photos regularly. Haywood again began to question management's coverage of the African American community and demanded that it be giving more impartial and fair coverage in their dissemination of stories and photographs involving the African American community. Because of his efforts The Miami Herald began to print more positive stories and photographs of African Americans and used Haywood for a poster entitled Reader Profiles for the employees of The Miami Herald to use as a role model in positive editorial content in the newspaper involving people of color.

In 1986 Haywood also became the personal photographer, bodyguard, and assistant to Philip Michael Thomas of Miami Vice fame. Haywood also had a reoccurring role in the series as an actor and a stuntman, until he spoke out about the latter of the two and the fact that they were using white stunt people to do stunts for Black actors and actresses. This led to Haywood being "black balled" as a stunt performer on the show. However, this did what he had hoped it would do and opened the door of opportunity for other African American stunt performers. In 1988 Haywood was one of the few African American photographers in the nation to work on a Republican campaign. This led to Haywood becoming the personal photographer for Senator Connie Mack's 1988 senatorial campaign which included photographing President Ronald Reagan for a day on his campaign swing for Senator Connie Mack through the state of Florida.

In 1989, Haywood relocated to Los Angeles, California. Haywood accepted a position with the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper as a staff photographer and photo editor. In this capacity he covered every major news and sporting event throughout Los Angeles, County and the nation. He began his advocacy for black media's right to participate. He was assigned the position of staff photographer for the Nelson Mandela reception committee during Mr. Mandela's Los Angeles visit. Haywood also began to question those who put on news events as to why the Black owned press was not given the same opportunity to cover news events which includes, news, sports, and entertainment as a whole but in particular when the events involve people of color.

In 1991 Haywood established a HGSTAR1NEWS PHOTOS in Los Angeles and with the help of public officials, including Congresswomen Maxine Waters County Supervisor, Yvonne Braithwait Burk. Haywood began to challenge the status quo domination of the mainstream media, Caucasian male dominated news gathering organizations to have more access and coverage even when the event involves people of color. Haywood advocacy in the early nineties I open the door for more black owned newspapers and other media entities to have more access covering media events in Los Angeles and some other areas of the nation his advocacy also was opened the door for African-American photographers to have access to events even some established African American photographers in Los Angeles who until Haywood’s had a difficult time getting access to cover news events.
On, August 16, 1993, Haywood decided to challenge the system established by the mainstream media organizations for covering major events where it was necessary to establish a photo pool (due to the tremendous amount of media interest and limited amount of space only one or two cameras are permitted). Traditionally, throughout the nation only white-owned news organizations have been privileged to be in these pools. On July 22, 1994, the Honorable Judge Lance A. Ito who was presiding over the Simpson murder trial agreed with Haywood that it was wrong for mainstream media, Caucasian male dominated news gathering organizations to have a monopoly.

For the first time in the history of this country a Black owned news/photo gathering organization was permitted to have the same privilege of covering a major court case in all areas just as the Caucasian owned news gathering organizations. Haywood went on to shoot two of the most memorable pictures of the entire trial. One of those images when one of the largest and most prominent newspapers in America the Los Angeles Times saw it had a “stop the presses moment” the editor stop the printing presses in the process of printing the next day’s addition of the Los Angeles Times to put Haywood’s courtroom photo on the front page and the prosecution in the O.J. Simpson double murder trial the next morning cut the photo out of the paper and used it as part of its evidence.

Haywood shot over eighteen thousand images of the "Trial of the Century" never missed a day of the trial. Despite efforts to get him thrown out, Haywood got closer to more of the main participants of the trial than any other photo/journalist. He effectively pulled off the biggest media coup of the 20th century and perhaps the single greatest documentation of a major event news by an individual photojournalist of the 20th century.

In 2001 after becoming extremely sick from toxic mold and the refusal of ownership and management to clean it up Haywood’s subsequent investigation and litigation force the owners of the apartment complex a hundred sixty three unit apartment complex in Southwest Los Angeles to be rehabilitated and the toxic mold removed from all the apartments after the owners the insurance company and lawyers declared they would never fix our pay the medical claims or settle the litigation.

In 2004 after seeing the lack of opportunities for young kids of color to get into the profession of the photojournalism, photography and broadcasting Haywood created a nonprofit organization by the name of Minority Photo/Journalism Institute (MPJI) to teach young kids of color photojournalism, photography and broadcasting giving them a positive outlet for their talents and energy. The slogan of MPJI is “If you want to shoot somebody pick up a camera” Haywood works of local community groups and the Los Angeles area teaching students and is working on putting the institute into historically black colleges and universities HBCU’s to level the playing field in the area of learning and opportunities in photojournalism.

Special Note: Even though (MPJI) was established to help young underprivileged kids of color Haywood turns to no child away or any individual seeking a positive outlet for their talents or has a desire to learn the rewarding hobby and profession of photography.

Haywood’s career has been spent working for the rights of media access for all qualified media organization especially minority owned media organizations that are often denied the privilege to cover events about minorities he also is an advocate for the underprivileged and underrepresented in America.
Other professional highlights and awards of Haywood include
• First African-American owned computerized news photo service agency. (1994)

• First African-American owned news photo service to use digital cameras. (1994)
  
  • First African-American owned news photo service to have permanent credentials in a major court case and invited to participate in court case photo pool. (1994)
• First African-American owned news photo service to cover the celebrated Emmy's from inside the auditorium. (1997)
• First African-American owned news photo service to cover the prestigious Breeders' Cup horse race. (1997)
• First African-American owned news photo service to be pool photo in a major court case Geronimo Pratt the Black Panther member who was wrongly accused of murder hearings.
• Only African-American owned news service to have a continuous field position for the Super Bowl.
• Covered special events for the last five presidents of the United States including Presidents: Barack Obama, George Bush Jr., William Clinton, George Bush Sr. and Ronald Reagan.
  
  • Served as one of President Barack Obama’s official photographers in California during the 2008 Presidential Campaign.
• Only photographer to cover the O.J. Simpson trial daily from the beginning to the end inside the courtroom taking over 18,000 news photos, and was the only photographer present when the Jury went to the Bundy and Rockingham locations.
• Only photographer to take a special photograph during testimony in the O.J. trial, which when viewed by the Los Angeles Times caused them to stop their presses to insert the photograph, thus providing the LA Times with two different FrontPage additions for the next run.
• Only member of the African-American media, to accompany President George Bush on his historic trip to South Central Los Angeles April 2002. For the past 15 years has been an advocate for equal access to all areas of an event for the Black Press of America.
• In the past 24 years his advocacy has opened the door for many black photographers and news organizations in the Los Angeles area to gain access to major news sports and entertainment events.
• Covered some of the biggest news events in the nation including the visit from South African President
  Nelson Mandela, Presidential inaugurations, NFL Superbowl’s, NBA Championships, Congressional events, Emmy's, Academy Awards, major civil disturbances and earth quakes.
• Recipient of the Ford Motor Company “2013 Ford Freedom Unsung Award Winner” in education
  for teaching youth photojournalism, photography and broadcasting.
• 2013 photo exhibit “My choice of weapons: Through the Lens History and Moments Captured” the
  journalism of iconic “History Making” photojournalist Haywood Galbreath.
• 2013 Recipient of the EOTM Award nominee for photojournalist of the year award.
• 1990 Recipient of the Los Angeles Black Gallery photo contest photojournalism and portrait award winner.

Haywood Galbreath is the most/history making black news photographer last half of the 20th century.
He set the standard for photojournalism in the last decade of the 20th century for African-American media.
Because of his dedication for equality for America’s Black Press, it was given more access to photograph
the biggest criminal trial and news media event in history of United States and World of the 20th century.