Photo: Zin Education Project
In 1690 when the first newspaper was published the world of Journalism was no place for minorities. Slavery was still in effect in the north and would be until 1804. So, this meant that there was no representation for women or people of color. The first Black Owned and operated newspaper was the Freedom Journal. It was founded by Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm in 1827. This also makes much more of an impact because it was right after slavery was abolished.
One of the main contributions that this paper was that it helped newly freed African American men and women learn about what was going on in society. The paper also worked to improve conditions for African American men and women. The goal of the paper was also to educate other minorities and people who were not minorities on the issues that the Black community was facing. The paper would have a two-year run; however, it was a great steppingstone for many Black Owned and operated newspapers.
Photo: Wikipedia
A particularly infamous Black owned and operated newspaper was The North Star which was founded by Fredric Douglas. Fredric Douglas was a former slave who escaped and dedicated his life to being an abolitionist. Not only for the abolishment of slavery but also for equal rights for Black men and women as well as women. This wet his apart from other abolishers because there were lots of people who wanted to end discrimination against African American men and women, however, there were not that many people who were fighting for the equal treatment of women. The North Star Newspaper was created in 1847. There was a bit of discomfort around Douglas creating his publication because of his competitor the Liberator. The liberator was run by William Lloyd Garrison who was a Caucasian man who also fought for the abolishing of slavery and women’s rights.
However, Fredrick Douglas had published several pieces in William Lloyd Garrison’s publication, and they ended up forming a good friendship. So, when Fredrick Douglas said he was going to start his own newspaper Garrison asked him not to know that he would lose many followers. However, Fredric Douglas went through with it and as William Lloyd Garrison predicted he ended up losing many followers, this led to the end of his publication and the end of their friendship.
The age of the Black press was one of impact and longevity. There would be countless publications that were owned and operated by African and American men. Publications like The Peoples Advocate and The Colored American paved the way for Black voices to be heard. Without publications like these the journalistic community would still be behind a lot when it came to understanding different opinions.
