Black Press Day 2024 (US): Black Press Day is annually observed on March 16. It commemorates the year 1827, when “Freedom’s Journal,” the first African American newspaper, was published in New York City. Black publishers, authors, photographers, and editors have confronted racism head-on for nearly two centuries. Diverse factions are brought together with a common objective: the candid and unreserved documentation of the African American experience.
The ardent Black Press laid the groundwork for landmark legislation concerning voting rights, desegregation, and the civil rights movement during an era when African Americans had no voice. The Black Press aimed to unite, educate, inspire, and elevate a disenfranchised community. Today, we honor the extraordinary individuals whose contributions revolutionized the field of journalism. Their legacy endures and continues to be significant, particularly in an era where news outlets propagate narrow narratives and concepts of the ‘other.’
Black Press Day History
A gathering of notable African Americans convened at the residence of Bostin Crummell in 1827. They aimed to deliberate on the amplification of the numerous socioeconomic and political obstacles encountered by African American communities throughout the nation. Until that point, the platform for collective Black expression had been social organizations or the church. It was abundantly evident that this was insufficient to effect lasting change against systemic discrimination; larger platforms were required. Nevertheless, these platforms were economically unattainable for African American citizens.
Black communities were not granted access to newspapers or the media. Certain segments of the established press frequently engage in derogatory and critical discourse regarding African Americans. Prominent newspapers declined to publish obituaries of African Americans, much less significant stories that affected the community. The credibility of an entire race was called into question by the public media, which denied its citizens the right to express themselves.
On March 16, 1827, Reverend Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm launched “Freedom’s Journal,” the first publication by African Americans. The first issue of the newspaper unequivocally stated its objective: “For far too long, others have advocated on our behalf…We intend to present our argument.” It marked the initiation of a significant paradigm shift. At the onset of the Civil War, forty African American newspapers were in circulation.
The Black Press rose to the occasion when major newspapers disregarded black realities in the 1920s and 1930s, and then some. Black-run publications reported employment opportunities with nondiscriminatory organizations. Rapidly transforming into forums for dissent, the newspapers covered athletics, politics, and financial affairs from the point of view of African American readers.
Furthermore, society pages disseminated inspiring and dignified narratives of prosperous African Americans who led lives of distinction. Angry editorials advocated for quality schools, equitable housing, and voting rights. Subsequently, school desegregation, the Voting Rights Bill of 1957, and the Civil Rights Legislation of 1964 were all shaped by these demands.
The Black Press has published the works of prominent American activists such as Zora Neale Hurston, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, and Ida B. Wells Barnett, among others, throughout the years. Representatives of twenty-two publications voted to establish the National Negro Publishers Association in 1941. At present, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNP) is composed of more than two hundred African American newspapers operating in the United States and the Virgin Islands.
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Black Press Day 2024 (US) FAQs
What purpose did Black Press serve?
Citizens, journalists, political commentators, and activists from various backgrounds constituted the Black Press. Their primary aim was to advocate for civil rights and confront prejudice head-on.
When was the Black Press initially published?
1827 marked the inception of The Black Press, an organization comprised of African Americans residing in New York City who resolved to cease the mainstream press’s persistent denigration of the black population. The publication they established was “Freedom’s Journal.”
Which are the five most prominent African American newspapers?
The “Philadelphia Tribune” is the preeminent and largest African-American community publication, having been established in 1884. The “Chicago Defender,” “The Los Angeles Sentinel,” “The Jackson Advocate,” and the “Michigan Chronicle” are additional noteworthy periodicals.
Black Press Day 2024 (US) Activities
Consult a Black publication
To be fully informed, it is necessary to contemplate various viewpoints. Today, instead of mainstream news, rely on first-person accounts from African Americans.
The film “Soldiers Without Swords” is recommended viewing.
A documentary that has won multiple awards chronicles the annals of the Black Press. A compelling cinematic experience that depicts editors, reporters, and photographers advocating for the marginalized community.
Advocate for a black publication
Independent, courageous journalism is reliant on its readers and supporters. Consider making an investment in or subscribing to an African-American-owned newspaper today.
Five Frederick Douglass facts that will astound you
Achieved illiteracy in defiance of all obstacles
To learn to read, a young Douglass traded bread with white children in his community.
Identified a former slaveholder
Douglass established “The North Star” several years after his escape, during which time he composed an innovative article addressed to its former proprietor, Thomas Auld.
The American most photographed
Prominent figures of the 19th century, Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln, possessed fewer portraits than Douglass.
He abstained from observing Independence Day.
Douglass refused to exult until the complete liberation of his people.
Nominated for Vice President of the United States
Douglass was officially elected as a Vice President candidate on the Equal Rights Party ticket in 1872, alongside the inaugural female presidential candidate, Victoria Woodhull.
BLACK PRESS DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | March 16 | Saturday |
| 2025 | March 16 | Sunday |
| 2026 | March 16 | Monday |
| 2027 | March 16 | Tuesday |
| 2028 | March 16 | Thursday |
