Black Press Day – March 16, 2025

History of Black Press Day

In 1827, a group of prominent African Americans gathered in the home of Bostin Crummell. Their objective was to discuss amplifying the myriad socio-economic and political challenges that Black communities faced in the country. The collective Black expression came through the church or other social organizations until then. It was clear this wasn’t enough, and systemic discrimination needed larger platforms to foster long-lasting change. But these platforms were out of reach for Black citizens. Black communities had no access to the media or newspapers. It was routine for some elements of the established press to attack and belittle African Americans in print. Major papers refused to run Black obituaries, let alone any major stories impacting the community. The public media questioned the integrity of a race without giving its people a voice, the right to speak for themselves.

On March 16, 1827, Reverend Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm started the “Freedom’s Journal,” the first newspaper produced by Black Americans. The newspaper’s first issue made its mandate clear: “Too long have others spoken for us …We wish to plead our own cause.” It was the beginning of monumental change. By the time of the Civil War, there were 40 Black newspapers in publication. When major papers ignored Black realities during the 1920s and 1930s, the Black Press stepped up and then some. Black-run publications reported job opportunities in companies that didn’t discriminate. The papers soon became outlets for expression, and sports, politics, and money news considered the perspective of Black readers.

Additionally, society pages published uplifting, dignified stories of thriving African Americans leading high-quality lives. Fiery editorials advocated voting rights, fair employment, housing, and quality schools. These demands would later set the stage for school desegregation, the 1957 Voting Rights Bill, and the Civil Rights Legislation in 1964. Over the years, the Black Press has featured the works of America’s leading activists, including W.E.B DuBois, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Frederick Douglass, and Ida B. Wells Barnett. In 1941, representatives from 22 publications decided to form the National Negro Publishers Association (N.N.P.A.). Today, the N.N.P.A., now the National Newspaper Publishers Association, comprises over 200 Black newspapers in the United States and the Virgin Islands.