Ethel Lois Payne was born in Chicago, Illinois, to William A. Payne and Bessie Austin.
Ethel Lois Payne was born on August 14, 1911, in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents, William A. Payne and Bessie Austin, were prominent influences in her life, instilling values of education and community awareness during a period of intense racial segregation in American history.
Payne's upbringing in a community resilient against racial oppression laid the foundation for her later activism and career in journalism, where she became known as the "First Lady of the Black Press."
Sources: Wikipedia, BlackPast.