The personal mission of Jimmie Briggs' decade-long career as a journalist has been to share with the world the voices and stories of the disenfranchised and voiceless. The release of his first book entitled, “Innocents Lost: When Child Soldiers Go to War”, is the culmination of over six years of painstaking, investigative journalism. The book chronicles the personal stories of several child
soldiers who participated in conflicts within the countries of Afghanistan, Uganda, Rwanda, Columbia, and Sri Lanka.

Briggs is the first African American to be appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador and Special Envoy for Children and Armed Conflict by WAFUNIF at the United Nations. In addition, Jimmie was accorded the honor of serving as a Special Consultant for the United Nations Special Session on Children.

Jimmie graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude with a degree in philosophy Morehouse College. Following college, Jimmie's passion to write took him to Washington D.C. where he parlayed a part-time job in the mailroom of the Washington Post into opportunities to write entertainment reviews for the paper. Jimmie was hired as an assistant editor at EMERGE Magazine. Jimmie's love of reportage and investigative journalism took him to LIFE Briggs has published in a broad spectrum of publications (e.g., The New York Times Magazine, People, Vibe, Bust, and Fortune).

For a number of years, Jimmie has taught writing and reporting to young people in Spanish Harlem for International Center for Photography and Boys Harbor, Inc. Further, he has also worked with the organization Seeds of Peace in both New York City and Kabul, Afghanistan teaching young people in violence-affected communities how to tell their own stories and document their own experiences. In addition, Briggs has also served as an adjunct professor of investigative journalism at the New School for Social Research.

The importance of Jimmie's work has been recognized both nationally and internationally. He has received a number of distinguished fellowships (e.g., The Alicia Patterson Fellowship, Dart Trauma Fellowship and Individual Project Fellowship from the Open Society Institute to study war-affected children. In addition, Jimmie received the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust Media Award, The NABJ Magazine Award, and The John Bartlow Martin Award for Public Journalism. Jimmie speaks to various organizations, religious and academic institutions on the issues that affect children engulfed in armed conflict. For additional information, visit his website, www.jimmiebriggs.com

Show full bio

Hide full bio