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Black Press Gives Voice to the Struggles of African Americans
By: Jordan Blair ElitE NEws PublishEr
W
e find ourselves murmuring and complaining at times still today because of the way blacks continue to be portrayed in the media. however, this didn’t just start back in the 40s, 50s or 60s, this goes as far back as the 1800’s, and possibly even farther back. According to the National Newspapers Publisher’s Association (NNPA), in 1827 a group of prominent free African American
Rev. Samuel Cornish
citizens from states along the Eastern seaboard met in New York City, home of bostin Crummell, to discuss means to communicate their views on the various social, political and economic issues that commonly confronted them and their respective communities. Although black citizens utilized the church, social and fraternal organizations as a means of collective expression and dialogue, the usual channels of public media (particularly newspapers) were denied to them. intensifying the problem was the fact that elements of the established
John B. Russwurm
press routinely depreciated African Americans in print, even to the extent of questioning both the integrity and morality of the entire race. Page 9 the most significant outcome of the meeting at Mr. Crummell’s house, in the winter Students from different schools, of 1827, was the decision to begin publicarecrecation and community centers tion of the first newspaper produced by participate in Summer Chess Camp black Americans, called Freedom’s Journal. two attendees at the meeting, rev. samuel Cornish and John b. russwurm, became the paper’s editors. Although well intentioned white citizens sometimes defended the honor of African Americans in public forums, the editors of Freedom’s Journal proclaimed in the first issue, “too long have others spoken for us. we wish to plead our own cause.” Page 4 During the 184 years since the appearance of Freedom’s Journal, the black Press has Separation of Church & State “John Wiley chronicled and commented upon events as Price & the Second Reconstruction” they have occurred and impacted upon African Americans, as it is still occurring today. throughout that time the black Press gave voice to the struggles of African Americans as they sought to overcome the effects of enslavement and discrimination to attain social equality, and today, has continued to “plead the cause.” Over the years the list of contributors to the black Press who have lent their talents as publishers, editors, journalists, and columnists and cartoonists has included the Page 3
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