The African American Newspaper: Voice of Freedom (Medill Visions of the American Press)

Winner, 2007 Tankard Award In March of 1827 the nation's first black newspaper appeared in New York City--to counter attacks on blacks by the city's other papers. From this signal event, The African American Newspaper traces the evolution of the black newspaper--and its ultimate decline--for more than 160 years until the end of the twentieth century. The book chronicles the growth of the black press into a powerful and effective national voice for African Americans during the period from 1910 to 1950--a period that proved critical to the formation and gathering strength of the civil rights movement that emerged so forcefully in the following decades. In particular, author Patrick S. Washburn explores how the Pittsburgh Courier and the Chicago Defender led the way as the two most influential black newspapers in U.S. history, effectively setting the stage for the civil rights movement's successes. Washburn also examines the numerous reasons for the enormous decline of black newspapers in influence and circulation in the decades immediately following World War II. His book documents as never before how the press's singular accomplishments provide a unique record of all areas of black history and a significant and shaping affect on the black experience in America. In March 1827 the nation's first black newspaper appeared in New York City - to counter attacks on blacks by the city's other papers. From this signal event, The African American Newspaper traces the evolution of the black newspaper - and its ultimate decline. The book chronicles the growth of the black press into a powerful and effective national voice for African Americans during the period from 1910 to 1950 - a period that proved critical to the formation and gathering strength of the civil rights movement that emerged so forcefully in the following decades. Washburn also examines the numerous reasons for black newspapers' marked decline in influence and circulation in the decades immediately following World War II. His book documents as never before how the press's singular accomplishments provide a unique record of all areas of black history and shows how the black press itself significantly shaped and affected the black experience in America. CONTENTS......Page 8 Foreword by Clarence Page......Page 10 Preface......Page 16 One Introduction......Page 22 Two The Early Black Press......Page 32 Three Struggling but Surviving......Page 60 Four A New Type of Newspaper......Page 94 Five Between the Wars......Page 134 Six World War II......Page 164 Seven From an Incredible High to an Incredible Low......Page 200 Eight The Civil Rights Era and the Black Press......Page 218 Notes......Page 228 Bibliography......Page 256 Index......Page 268 In March of 1827, the nation's first black newspaper appeared in New York City - to counter attacks on blacks by the city's other papers. This book chronicles the growth of the black press during the period from 1910 to 1950, and also examines the reasons for their decline in influence and circulation in the decades immediately following WWII. Patrick S. Washburn ; Foreword By Clarence Page. Medill School Of Journalism. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 235-245) And Index.