In honor of Black History Month, how about a celebration of Black Journalists throughout history? Because I have been a professional journalist for over twenty years, and a professor of journalism for a decade, I have the utmost respect and admiration for journalists. Particularly those brave journalists who have weaponized their words to bring about progressive change and social justice in the world. If that sounds like just about every single Black journalist who ever put pen to paper in the United States before 1964, that’s because it’s true. Our earliest Black journalists had to be de facto freedom fighters. (Fun fact, so were early Native American journalists.)
Black Journalists in History Had to Write for our Freedom
Black journalists have been tasked with using their words via mass media to literally fight for their rights and their lives from day one. In fact, the very first Black newspaper published in the United States, Freedom’s Journal, was created with the agenda of trying to show white America that Black people were not violent buffoons, and deserved to be treated with dignity.
Black journalists have been telling the world that Black Lives Matter since before Black lives were even counted as fully human.
Black journalists were social disruptors well before a sit-in was ever staged.
Black journalists were at the forefront of using the media to build wealth and to show that niche audiences could be monetized. Black journalists were a beacon of light and hope when darkness prevailed. In my mind, America’s Black journalists are heroes that deserve to be recognized this month and any other time that Black excellence is on the table.
The Black Journalists in History Series
John Russwurm – The Editor of America’s First Black Newspaper
The Black Women Journalists/Heroines of the 19th Century
Frederick Douglass – Race Man and Newspaper Man
Ida B. Wells – The Social Justice Journalist
Robert S. Abbott – The Millionaire Media Maven Who Founded the Chicago Defender
Essence Magazine – The Black Woman’s Bible and Every Black Woman Journalist’s Dream
What Black Publications are Carrying on the Legacy of our Black Journalism Legends?
The Capital B Campaign – for Journalists
I hope these stories resonate. I hope they make people realize how powerful the press can be, and not just for issues of social justice. Essence magazine gave Black women a place to see their own beauty. The Chicago Defender showcased Black families having picnics in the park. The media is an excellent vehicle to not only showcase our struggles, but also to celebrate our humanity. And that’s what motivated me to become a journalist. I wanted to do both of those things with my writing; educate, entertain and light the spark of change. My greatest achievement as a Black journalist was in fact, writing the opinion piece in the New York Times that was instrumental in getting the world’s journalists to capitalize the B in Black when writing about Black people and Black culture..
I Am Because of Them
I love that I get to call myself a journalist today. I love that my work has evolved from magazine writer, to editor, to author, to blogger, to podcast host. I am thrilled that my work has graced the pages of national magazines and influential newspapers. I am so happy to be in this field where so many have come before me and paved the way for women and Black people particularly, to be able to use our voices to share the stories we deem important. By focusing on Black journalists this month, I am reminded that I am standing on the shoulders of men and women who literally risked their lives and livelihoods to put pen to paper and then send their stories out into world. That’s a powerful reflection. It’s a salient reminder. I am so grateful for their legacy.
Who is Your Favorite Black Journalist in History?
Do you have a favorite Black journalist, past or present that you admire? Does Oprah count as a Black journalist in your mind? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share your thoughts in the comments below. You know I’m listening.
Comments
2 responses to “Celebrating Black Journalists in History – A Series”
My favorite journalist is Langston Hughes.
His “Simple” stories were published,
in the Chicago Defender where he was a also a writer for twenty years.
He was a war corespondent in the Spanish Civil War for the Baltimore African American Newspaper.
Karen,
Bravo! Of course! Langston Hughes should have been on my list. But I never think of him as a journalist, which is so wrong. He checks all of my boxes, Black man in Spain, writer, journalist. I used to call myself Lori Hughes when I was young because of him. LOL! Thank you for the reminder!