{{Short description|English playwright, radio host, political journalist}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Esther Armah | honorific_suffix = | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = <!-- {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | birth_place = London, England | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline}} --> | monuments = | nationality = | other_names = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = {{Plainlist| * Playwright * Radio host * Political commentator }} | years_active = | employer = | agent = | known_for = | notable_works = | style = | television = | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = {{Plainlist| * Kwesi Armah * Esther Yaa Agyemang Armah }} | relatives = | awards = | website = <!-- {{URL|www.example.com}} --> }}
'''Esther Armah''' is a British-born playwright, radio host and political commentator living in Brooklyn, New York.<ref name="rbp">{{cite web | url=http://redefiningblackpower.com/?p=59 |title=Contributors: Esther Armah |work=Redefining Black Power: Reflections on the State of Black America | access-date=13 July 2012}}</ref> She currently hosts ''The Spin'', a talk show, for the African-American Public Radio Consortium.<ref>[http://aaprc.org/?p=56 THE SPIN – ALL WOMEN MEDIA PANEL]</ref>
== Biography ==
Armah was born in London, England, to Kwesi Armah, a Ghanaian politician and ambassador to the United Kingdom, and his wife, Esther Yaa Agyemang Armah. She was raised in both England and her homeland. She was in Ghana during the 1966 Ghana military coup while her father was on a diplomatic mission to Vietnam. She and the rest of her family were attacked by soldiers soon after the coup began, and her mother was nearly murdered.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tnj.com/departments/final-word/emotional-justice | title=Emotional Justice | work=The Network Journal | date=April 2012 | access-date=12 July 2012 | author=Armah, Esther | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626015615/http://www.tnj.com/departments/final-word/emotional-justice | archive-date=26 June 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref> They spent two years under house arrest before being allowed to return to England.{{sfn|Armah|2006|p=6}}
In London, Armah hosted the current affairs radio program ''Talking Africa'' before becoming a researcher and reporter for BBC Radio and BBC World Service. She was a contributor to ''Crossing Continents'' and ''Law in Action''. She was also a presenter for the BBC television series ''Black Britain'' and ''Panorama''.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/2892783.stm | title=Esther Armah | publisher=BBC News|work=Crossing Continents | date=9 April 2003 | access-date=13 July 2012}}</ref> At ''Panorama'', she produced a program investigating the death of Damilola Taylor.{{sfn|Armah|2006|p=55}}
In New York City, she hosted WBAI's morning drive time program, ''Wakeup Call'' Mondays through Thursdays until August 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.wbai.org/program.php?program=39 | title=Wakeup Call | publisher=WBAI.org | date=26 January 2012 | access-date=11 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://thevillager.com/2013/08/22/wbai-cuts-local-programs-slashes-news-department// | title=WBAI cuts local programs, slashes news department |author=Paul DeRienzo| work=The Villager | date=28 August 2013 | access-date=11 December 2013}}</ref> Previously she hosted that station's program ''Connections''. She is also an occasional guest on the MSNBC weekend shows ''Up with Chris Hayes'' and ''Melissa Harris-Perry''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/esther-armah/ | title=About Esther Armah | publisher=huffingtonpost.com | access-date=29 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://mhpshow.msnbc.com/_news/2012/03/25/10852272-good-look-tv-on-the-radio | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129093422/http://mhpshow.msnbc.com/_news/2012/03/25/10852272-good-look-tv-on-the-radio | url-status=dead | archive-date=29 January 2013 | title=Good Look: TV, on the radio | publisher=msnbc.com | work=Melissa Harris-Perry blog | date=25 March 2012 | access-date=29 July 2012 | author=Smith, Jamil }}</ref>
Armah has written an autobiography, ''Can I Be Me?'' (2006), as well as three plays: ''Forgive Me?'', ''Entitled!'' and ''Saviour?''. She has also written pieces for ''The Guardian'' and for ''Essence'' magazine. Armah's works and radio programs explore issues of social justice, race and gender, especially regarding the African diaspora in England and the United States.<ref name="rbp"/>
==Notes== {{reflist|30em}}
==References== * {{cite book | title=Can I Be Me? | publisher=iUniverse | last=Armah | first=Esther | year=2006 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/canibeme0000arma/page/84 84] | isbn=0595382738 | url=https://archive.org/details/canibeme0000arma/page/84 }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Armah, Esther}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:English people of Ghanaian descent Category:English emigrants to the United States Category:English dramatists and playwrights Category:English radio presenters Category:English political journalists Category:Writers from London