African-American Newspapers By: Yasmin Ruiz Nely Santos

What does Antebellum South mean? Antebellum South means existing before a war especially before the American civil war.

When did African American newspapers come into existence? The first African-American newspaper came into existence during the antebellum south on March 16, 1827 , and was called Freedom’s Journal. Other newspapers followed during the antebellum south like the North Star, founded by Frederick Douglass. These newspapers ended very shortly after they began due to few people that were able to support the paper. However, after the antebellum south many of these newspapers flourished.

What was published in African American newspapers? News of current events Anecdotes like biographies to encourage black achievement. Editorials to address contemporary issues for example, slavery during the antebellum south, segregation, lynching and much more. Poems by Langston Hughes, Walter White, Gwendolyn Brooks and many other popular poets. School, job and housing listings.

In what ways were African Americans uplifted by these newspapers? African American newspapers gave the black community a voice when it was not easy to express it. Freedom’s Journal denounced slavery and urged for black peoples political rights, and right to vote. In newspapers like the Pittsburg Courier the African American community was urged to take an active role in their political destinies. Many of these newspapers offered help to newly freed slaves from the south.

What was the social standpoint perspective on African American newspapers? African American newspapers were a source of pride and a focal point for African Americans to stick together and fight oppression. Some white people, for example the KKK were against the distribution of these periodicals like The Chicago Defender, and usually confiscated it or threatened its readers. Many white distributors refused to circulate African American newspapers in the south therefore causing them to be smuggled into south.

Time Period African American newspapers have been around since before the abolition of slavery. The first of these newspapers came in 1827 and was named Freedom's Journal. Since 1827 hundreds of these periodicals have been made. As African Americans moved to urban centers around the country such as New York , virtually every large city with a significant African American population soon had newspapers. African Americans used these newspapers to give themselves a voice during the awful times they had to endure like lynching and segregation.

What were African American Newspapers? African American newspapers are periodicals that targeted the black community in hopes of improving the spiritual, social, or intellectual condition of African americans. These newspapers offered black people the news through their own eyes and not a white racist point of view. Most founders of these newspapers were African American and usually the main reason they started periodicals was to profit, although they were very efficient supporters of the African American community.

How African American Newspapers affected black community? In 1938, The Pittsburgh Courier had a column where sportswriter Wendell Smith denounced segregation in the major leagues which contributed to Jackie Robinson signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The Chicago Defender held a campaign in support of The Great Migration where they urged African Americans in the south to relocate in the north due to the hazards of remaining in the segregated south. May 15, 1917 was the date in which The Defender had declared the migration. The Great Migration resulted in one and a half million southern blacks relocating north. The Defender helped facilitate the relocation by posting job listings and train schedules.

Continued... The Chicago Defender also held full news coverage of th Red Summer Riots of 1919 which campaigned for anti-lynching legislation and for integrated sports. The Pittsburgh Courier also held another campaign in February 7, 1942 called the Double V campaign that demanded African American soldiers returning from WWII get full citizenship rights at home.

Powerful Quote: “We didn't exist in the other papers. We were neither born, we didn't get married, we didn't die, we didn't fight in any wars, we never participated in anything of a scientific achievement. We were truly invisible unless we committed a crime. And in the BLACK PRESS, the negro press, we did get married. They showed us our babies when born. They showed us graduating. They showed our PhDs” -Vernon Jarrett: THE BLACK PRESS: SOLDIERS WITHOUT SWORDS This quote by Jarrett explains how African Americans were not treated equally and did not have full rights because of their skin color. Newspapers helped African Americans felt like they were nobody in regular white newspapers but African American Newspapers gave them a voice.

Powerful Quote: “As slaves, African Americans were forbidden to read, but after the Civil War, reading became one of the sweetest fruits of freedom. For many, black newspapers were an introduction the power and the magic of the written word.” -THE BLACK PRESS: SOLDIERS WITHOUT SWORDS African Americans took advantage of their right to be able to read and decided to come up with their own means of expressions. Newspapers were a way for African Americans to communicate with each other.