Daryl Royster Alexander

Editor and visual artist Daryl Royster Alexander was born on August 20, 1947 in Austin, Texas to Myrtle and Arthur Royster. She graduated from Washburn High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1965. In 1969, Alexander earned her B.A. degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota, where she also studied studio and art history with artist Mario Volpe. She went on to study at the Art Students League in New York, New York, under the direction of Gregg Kreutz, Nelson Shanks, and Dan Thompson, between the years of 2005 and 2012.

Alexander began her journalism career in the early 1970s and joined Essence magazine in 1974, serving as deputy editor until 1980. That year, she became editor-in-chief, making her one of the few African American women leading a magazine at the time. She held that position until 1981, when she joined The New York Times as an editor. Over the next three decades, she oversaw the education, life, metro administration, and food sections, earning a Publisher’s Award from The New York Times for excellence in journalism. After retiring from The New York Times in 2011, Alexander pursued her lifelong interest in the visual arts as a full-time painter. Her still-life and figurative works have been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at Galerie Intemporel in Paris, France (2018), and at the Granary Gallery in West Tisbury, Massachusetts. Her 2022 series, “The People Flew,” was featured at both the Granary Gallery and the Knowhere Art Gallery in Martha’s Vineyard between 2022 and 2024.

During her career, Alexander has served as a member of the literary and editorial organizations, Women’s Media Group and the National Association of Black Journalists. She is also a life member of the New York Art Students League.

Alexander and her husband, Rodney Alexander, have a son named Douglas Alexander.

They reside in Brooklyn, New York.

Daryl Royster Alexander was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on August 8, 2024.