African American newspapers
Encyclopedia
African American newspapers are those newspapers in the United States
that seek readers primarily of African American
descent. These newspapers came into existence in 1827 when Samuel Cornish
and John Brown Russwurm
started the first African-American periodical called Freedom's Journal
. During the antebellum South, other African American newspapers sprang forth, such as The North Star founded by Frederick Douglass
. As African Americans moved to urban centers around the country, virtually every large city with a significant African American population soon had newspapers directed towards African Americans. Today, these newspapers have gained audiences outside of African American circles.
Blacks' ability to establish many environments and black neighborhoods in the North led to the first wave of publications. By the 20th century, daily papers appeared in Norfolk, Kansas City, and Washington D.C.
and John H. Johnson
. These men broke a wall that let black people in the society, not only as criminals, but as successful human beings. The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder is Minnesota's oldest Black Newspaper and the United States oldest ongoing minority publication second only to The Jewish World.
As of 2010 however, there has been a resurgence of online African American news organizations, most notably Black News, The Grio
, and Black Voices. With the decline of print media and proliferation of internet access, more and more black news websites are popping up every day.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that seek readers primarily of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
descent. These newspapers came into existence in 1827 when Samuel Cornish
Samuel Cornish
Samuel Eli Cornish was an American abolitionist, journalist, and Presbyterian minister.-Early years:Cornish was born in Sussex County, Delaware, to free parents. In 1815, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and John Brown Russwurm
John Brown Russwurm
John Brown Russwurm was an American abolitionist from Jamaica, known for his newspaper, Freedom's Journal. He moved from the United States to govern the Maryland section of an African American colony in Liberia, dying there in 1851....
started the first African-American periodical called Freedom's Journal
Freedom's Journal
Freedom's Journal was the first African American owned and operated newspaper published in the United States. Published weekly in New York City from 16 March 1827 to 28 March 1829, the journal was edited by John Russwurm and co-editor, Samuel Cornish who contributed only through 14 September 1827...
. During the antebellum South, other African American newspapers sprang forth, such as The North Star founded by Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing...
. As African Americans moved to urban centers around the country, virtually every large city with a significant African American population soon had newspapers directed towards African Americans. Today, these newspapers have gained audiences outside of African American circles.
Origins
Most of these publications like Freedom's Journal's (1758–1799) were published in the north and then distributed, often covertly, to African Americans throughout the country.Blacks' ability to establish many environments and black neighborhoods in the North led to the first wave of publications. By the 20th century, daily papers appeared in Norfolk, Kansas City, and Washington D.C.
19th century
In the late 19th century the main reason that the papers were created was for economic stability, and not for uplifiting. However, African Americans found both through African American Papers that were aspiring to fight oppression.Modern day
There were many black publications, like those of Marcus GarveyMarcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
and John H. Johnson
John H. Johnson
John Harold Johnson was an American businessman and publisher. He was the founder of the Johnson Publishing Company. In 1982 he became the first African-American to appear on the Forbes 400.ÀčĐċĎ- Biography :...
. These men broke a wall that let black people in the society, not only as criminals, but as successful human beings. The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder is Minnesota's oldest Black Newspaper and the United States oldest ongoing minority publication second only to The Jewish World.
The future of African American newspapers
Many Black newspapers that began publishing in the 60's, 70's, and 80's went out of business because they could not attract enough advertising and economic decline. As of 2002, 2000 Black newspapers remained.As of 2010 however, there has been a resurgence of online African American news organizations, most notably Black News, The Grio
The Grio
TheGrio.com is a black and African-American video news site that focuses on underrepresented stories in existing national news that are important to the African-American community....
, and Black Voices. With the decline of print media and proliferation of internet access, more and more black news websites are popping up every day.
List of African American newspapers in the United States
- The Arizona Informant - Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
- African-American News and IssuesAfrican-American News and IssuesAfrican-American News and Issues is a weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. The newspaper is distributed to zip codes that have the largest concentrations of African-Americans within the state of Texas. Circulation is estimated at 312,818.-External links:*...
– Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... - Bay State Banner - Boston, Massachusetts
- Big Red News (defunct) - Brooklyn, New York
- Black ChronicleBlack ChronicleThe Black Chronicle is an African American weekly newspaper in the state of Oklahoma. Founded in April 1979 and based in Oklahoma City's Eastside, it is owned by Perry Publishing and Broadcasting and caters to Oklahoma City's black community....
- Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - Boston GuardianBoston GuardianThe Boston Guardian was co-founded by William Monroe Trotter and George Forbes in 1901 at Boston, Massachusetts, and published in the same building that had once housed William Lloyd Garrison's Liberator. In March 1901, Trotter helped organize the Boston Literary and Historical Association, a...
(defunct) - Boston, Massachusetts - Buffalo Challenger (defunct) - Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
- The Buffalo Criterion - Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
- California EagleCalifornia EagleThe California Eagle was one of the oldest and longest-running African American newspapers in Los Angeles, California and the West. It started in 1879, founded by John J. Neimore, who had escaped slavery in Missouri...
(defunct) - Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... - Call and PostCall and PostThe Call and Post is an African American newspaper, based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1928 as a merger between the Cleveland Call and the Cleveland Post, two newspapers which had been serving the African American community since 1920. -Additional reading:*Ross, Felecia G. Jones...
- Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border... - Carolina Peacemaker - Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
- The Carolina TimesThe Carolina TimesThe Carolina Times was founded as The Standard Advertiser in 1921 by Charles Arrant, who died in 1922. In 1927 the newspaper was purchased by North Carolina Central University alumnus Louis E. Austin in Durham, North Carolina. He changed the name to The Carolina Times.Austin edited and published...
- Durham, North CarolinaDurham, North CarolinaDurham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census... - The Carolinian - Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
- Charlotte PostCharlotte PostThe Charlotte Post, founded in 1878, targets the African American community in the Charlotte, North Carolina metropolitan area. The Post is read by thousands of area residents and has earned numerous national and local journalism and service awards....
- Chattanooga Courier
- Chicago Crusader - Chicago, Illinois
- Chicago DefenderChicago DefenderThe Chicago Defender is a Chicago based newspaper founded in 1905 by an African American for primarily African American readers.In just three years from 1919–1922 the Defender also attracted the writing talents of Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks....
- The Christian Recorder
- The City SunThe City SunThe City Sun was a weekly newspaper that was published in Brooklyn from 1984 through 1996. Its primary focus was on issues of interest to African Americans in New York City....
- Clarksville Press
- The Cleveland GazetteThe Cleveland GazetteThe Cleveland Gazette was a weekly newspaper published in Cleveland, Ohio from August 25, 1883 to May 20, 1945. It was an African American newspaper owned and edited by Harry C. Smith, initially with a group of partners...
- The Courant
- The Denver Weekly News
- Dallas ExpressDallas ExpressThe Dallas Express was a weekly newspaper published in Dallas, Texas from 1892 to 1970. It covered news of blacks in Dallas and a large portion of Texas...
- The Final CallThe Final CallThe Final Call is a newspaper published in Chicago. It was founded in 1979 by Minister Louis Farrakhan and serves as the official newspaper of the Nation of Islam.-History:...
- The Florida Star
- Freedom's JournalFreedom's JournalFreedom's Journal was the first African American owned and operated newspaper published in the United States. Published weekly in New York City from 16 March 1827 to 28 March 1829, the journal was edited by John Russwurm and co-editor, Samuel Cornish who contributed only through 14 September 1827...
- Gary Crusader - Gary, IndianaGary, IndianaGary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
- Harambee News
- INK NewspaperInk newspaperInk newspaper is a weekly publication targeted to Northeast Indiana's Black community. Based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Ink is published by Diversity Media Group, Inc., a locally-owned, family-owned company founded in 2001 by siblings Vince Robinson and Terri Miller.-Description:Known for its use...
- Jackson AdvocateJackson AdvocateJackson Advocate is an African-American weekly newspaper in Jackson, Mississippi founded in 1938 by Percy Greene. Mr. Greene was a veteran of World War I and was a Civil Rights leader in the 1940s and 1950s...
- The CallThe Call- Publications :* The Call , a newspaper in Kansas City, Missouri, serving the Black American community* The New York Call, sometimes simply called The Call, a Socialist newspapter published by the Socialist Party of America...
-Kansas City, MO - Kansas State Ledger
- Knoxville Enlightener
- Las Vegas Sentinel-Voice
- Los Angeles SentinelLos Angeles SentinelThe Los Angeles Sentinel is a weekly African American-owned newspaper published in Los Angeles, California. The paper boasts of reaching 125,000 readers , making it the oldest, largest and most influential African-American newspaper in the Western United States.The Sentinel was founded and first...
- Louisville DefenderLouisville DefenderLouisville Defender is a weekly newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1933 by Alvin Bowman of Louisville and John Sengstacke of Chicago. It joined The Louisville Leader and Louisville News as African American newspapers and the city. Frank Stanley Sr...
- Memphis Tri-State DefenderMemphis Tri-State DefenderThe Memphis Tri-State Defender is an African American newspaper published in Memphis, Tennessee.The Tri-State Defender is one of the longest continuously-published African American papers in the Southern United States and as such is quite prestigious for a publication of its type. It was very...
- Michigan ChronicleMichigan ChronicleThe Michigan Chronicle is a weekly African-American run newspaper based in Detroit, Michigan. It was founded in 1936 by John Sengstacke, owner of the Chicago Defender. The first editor was Louis E. Martin, whom Sengestacke sent to Detroit on June 6, giving him a $5.00 raise above his $15-per-week...
- Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
- Murfreesboro Vision
- Muncie Times, free full-text access, 1991-2010
- Muslim Journal
- The Nashville Pride
- New Journal and GuideNew Journal and GuideThe New Journal and Guide is a regional weekly newspaper based out of Norfolk, Virginia and serves the Hampton Roads area. The weekly focuses on local and national African-American news, sports, and issues and has been in circulation since 1900....
- The New Orleans Tribune - La Tribune de la Nouvelle-Orleans
- New York Beacon
- New York Carib News - New York, New York
- North Star (newspaper)North Star (newspaper)The North Star was an anti-slavery newspaper. Abolitionist Frederick Douglass published the North Star until June 1851, when Douglass and Gerrit Smith agreed to merge the North Star with the Liberty Party Paper to form Frederick Douglass's Paper...
- Nos Jornal (newspaper)
- The Oakland Post (California)
- Omaha StarOmaha StarThe Omaha Star is a newspaper founded in 1938 in North Omaha, Nebraska by Mildred Brown and her husband S. Edward Gilbert. Housed in the historic Omaha Star building in the Near North Side neighborhood, today the Omaha Star is the only remaining African-American newspaper in Omaha and the only one...
- Our Weekly
- Philadelphia TribunePhiladelphia TribuneThe Philadelphia Tribune is an American newspaper, headquartered at 520 South 16th Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that primarily targets the African American community. Published Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, it is the oldest continually running African-American newspaper,...
- Philadelphia Observer
- Pittsburgh CourierPittsburgh CourierThe Pittsburgh Courier was an American newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which was published from 1907 to 1965. Once the country's most widely circulated Black newspaper, the legacy and influence of the Pittsburgh Courier is unparalleled.A pillar of the Black Press, it rose...
- Richmond Free PressRichmond Free PressThe Richmond Free Press is an independent newspaper in Richmond, Virginia. Published on a weekly basis, it is mainly targeted at the city's African-American community. Its main competitor is the Richmond Times-Dispatch owned by Media General. Raymond H. Boone is the paper's founder, editor and...
- The Richmond Voice Newspaper
- San Francisco Bay ViewSan Francisco Bay ViewSan Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper is an online newspaper, and former print newspaper, published in San Francisco, California. It covers events from an African American perspective, with a focus on Black liberation and coverage of worldwide racial inequality and political repression...
- Savannah TribuneSavannah TribuneThe Savannah Tribune is a weekly African American newspaper located in Savannah, Georgia, United States.-History:The paper was originally founded in 1875 and went through two hiatuses . Originally named the Colored Tribune, the paper was established by Louis B. Toomer, Sr., Louis M. Pleasant, and...
- Seattle MediumSeattle MediumThe Seattle Medium is an African American newspaper that serves Seattle, Washington. It was founded in January 1970. Its parent company, the Seattle Medium Newspaper Group, also publishes the Seattle Metro Homemaker, the Tacoma True Citizen , and the Portland Medium...
- St. Louis SentinelSt. Louis SentinelThe St. Louis Sentinel is an African American-oriented weekly newspaper, founded in 1968 by Howard B. Woods in St. Louis, Missouri. After Woods's death in 1976, his wife Jane Woods took over as publisher.-See also:*African American newspapers...
- The Miami Times
- The FactsThe Facts (Seattle)The Facts is an African American weekly newspaper that serves Seattle, Washington. Headquartered in the Central District, it was founded in 1961 by Fitzgerald Redd Beaver...
- The Liberator
- The Louisiana WeeklyThe Louisiana WeeklyThe Louisiana Weekly is a weekly newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It covers topics of interest to the African American community, especially in the New Orleans area and south Louisiana. It has a circulation of 5,854....
- The Washington Informer
- The Washington Afro American
- The Washington SunThe Washington SunThe Washington Sun is a weekly local newspaper based in Washington DC, USA. It is one of the oldest minority owned newspapers in the USA with a distribution and subscription readership of 55,000, covering the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area....
- The New York Amsterdam NewsThe New York Amsterdam NewsThe New York Amsterdam News is a American black nationalist weekly newspaper geared to the African-American community of New York City, New York.It has published columns by notables including W. E. B. Du Bois, Roy Wilkins, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr...
- The New York Voice (Weekly)
- The Sacramento ObserverThe Sacramento ObserverThe Sacramento Observer is an African American-owned weekly newspaper in Sacramento, California, USA. It serves the African American community throughout the Sacramento Metropolitan Area. There are an estimated 144,000 African Americans living in Sacramento, according to the 2005 American Community...
- Woman's Era (the first newspaper published by and for African American women)
List of African American online news organizations in the United States
- Black News - Black News Website
- The GrioThe GrioTheGrio.com is a black and African-American video news site that focuses on underrepresented stories in existing national news that are important to the African-American community....
- The Grio Website - Black Voices - Black Voices Website
- Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder - Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Website
See also
- List of newspapers in the United States
- African American historyAfrican American historyAfrican-American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United States. Most African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans held in the United States from 1619 to 1865...