Florence “Flo” Anthony, media trailblazer, dies at 74

Pioneering entertainment journalist and radio host Florence “Flo” Anthony has died at the age of 74 following a battle with cancer.

Anthony was a significant figure in breaking racial and gender barriers within the media industry. She was the first Black woman to work in the sports department of the New York Post and later became the first Black woman to work on the publication’s Page Six gossip column. Her career spanned various platforms, including serving as a columnist for the Amsterdam News, hosting syndicated radio segments such as “Gossip to Go With Flo,” and contributing to television programs like “Inside Edition” and “Entertainment Tonight.”

Before her journalism career, she worked as a sports publicist for high-profile athletes including Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. An author of murder mysteries and a biographer, she recently co-authored “Michael ‘Jinx’ Spinks: An Authorized Biography.” Anthony was a graduate of Howard University.