Wil Haygood has reported from warzones, been kidnapped and ransomed abroad and spent decades interviewing prominent figures across the nation. But when it came time to write his tenth book, he decided to let other voices lead.

That book, titled, “The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home,” draws on Haygood’s research which consists of interviewing nearly 100 Black Vietnam war veterans. The inspiring stories from these individuals were the topic of the Estlow Lecture at the University of Denver, hosted by Dr. Lynn Schofield Clark, journalism professor and director of the Estlow International Center for Journalism and Media. 

Following the lecture, Haygood was awarded the Anvil of Freedom Award, which honors media professionals or organizations for superior leadership, integrity and dedication to democratic freedoms. 

Although Haygood’s work focused on the perspectives of his interviewees, he had plenty of stories to tell about his life and upbringing as a Black journalist in the United States.

After college, Haygood moved to New York City with $300 to his name. During a heartbreaking layoff from a sales retail job at Macy’s, his then supervisor prompted him to go home and write in a journal she gave him. When he returned the next day with eight pages full, she laid him off but advised him to keep writing. He later worked as a copy editor in Charleston, W.Va.. 

Within a year and a half, he had written more than 75 stories on his days off, unpaid, just to build a portfolio.

“I just needed some clips,” said Haygood. Those stories eventually led him to a feature reporter position at the Boston Globe, where he got a chance to interview James Baldwin, one of his heroes. Baldwin told Haygood to “go where your blood beats,” advice that has carried him into the successful career he is proud of today.

There are nine chapters in Haygood’s new book, where each chapter chronicles the story of a different Black figure during the Vietnam war, male and female. Haygood said each chapter collectively represents both the war from their perspectives and the ongoing battle for racial equality at home. He said the most profound moments during his years of research came not from the facts the veterans shared, but from what happened when they were finally asked to share it all.

“Almost all of them cried,” Haygood explained in a post-lecture interview. “It became a theme. Their heaviest moments of the war were the parts they wanted to make sure I got in the book, because they had been carrying it for so long and nobody asked them how they felt about the war.”

He added that most reporters covering Vietnam at the time were white and “naturally gravitated toward white soldiers,” marginalizing a generation of Black veterans. 

One of those veterans was Lieutenant General Arthur “Art” Gregg, who was 94 years old at the time of his interview with Haygood. Gregg served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars and lived to see an Army base originally named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, renamed in his honor. Haygood tracked down Gregg’s phone number and drove out to meet him.

“He was flying down the interstate,” Haygood said with a laugh, recounting the elderly veteran behind the wheel. “Just like something out of a crazy movie.” Haygood went home that very day to write Gregg’s chapter, titled “The Requiem of Art Gregg.” 

The impact of Haygood’s work extended back to the veterans themselves, even those that didn’t land a chapter. One told Haygood that the first half of the book traumatized him, but the second half began to heal him.

“The fact that my book healed him… that told me ‘Wil, your mission has been accomplished.’”

Haygood also opened up about his writing process. He writes from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., take a  break, then resumes from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. When satisfied, he prints out his drafts and takes them outside to read over on a nearby bench. 

“Reading something at your desk is much different than reading it outside,” he said. “When I read it outside, I tend to see things differently.”  

Haygood’s dedication to his craft extends to how he spends his time off. He keeps nearly 1,200 books on his shelves at home.

“The books that I keep are just well-written books,” he said. “If there’s a night and I just want to dip back into a book, I know whatever book I pull is going to be a book that I loved reading when I first read it, which is why I still have it.” He takes one with him every time he travels. 

Haygood didn’t shy away from the difficult path student journalists are navigating , but he didn’t dwell on it either.

“It will always be hard for artists, but as James Baldwin once told me, you have to go where your blood beats,” he said during the lecture. “There is no better time than now.” 

Read other Clarion coverage on Haygood’s discussion of the book and his message of hope for the nation. 

“The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home” is available for purchase at any bookstore or online.