Leslie "Les" Payne (born July 12, 1941) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist. He served as an editor and columnist at Newsday and is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists.Payne was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. According to DNA analysis, he is descended in part from people from Cameroon.The first member of his family to attend college, Payne graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1964 with a degree in English. He was interested in pursuing a career in journalism, but as an African American he found no opportunities in the mainstream press. Instead, Payne joined the army, where he eventually became a captain. He ended his army career with two years as an information officer, writing speeches for General William Westmoreland and running the army newspaper. Wikipedia
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