This work examines both predominately black newspapers in general and four in particular—the Chicago Defender, the Pittsburgh Courier, the Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City), and the Jackson (Mississippi) Advocate—and their coverage of national events. The beginnings of the black press are detailed, focusing on how they reported the anti-slavery movement, the Civil War and the Reconstruction era. Their coverage of the migration of blacks to the industrial north in the early twentieth century and World War I are next examined, followed by the black press response to World War II and the civil rights movement. The survival techniques used by the editors, how some editors reacted when faced with threats of physical harm, and how the individual editorial policies affected the different newspapers are fully explored.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Charles A. Simmons is a professor emeritus of mass communications from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. He lives in Oklahoma City.

Charles A. Simmons
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 205
Bibliographic Info: bibliography, appendices, index
Copyright Date: 2006 [1997]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2607-2
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

Introduction      5

1. The Beginning of the Black Press      9

2. The Chicago Defender and the Move Northward, 1915–1928      25

3. Pittsburgh Courier      43

4. Black Dispatch      51

5. Jackson Advocate      63

6. World War II, 1939–1945      69

7. The Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1965      91

Conclusions      159

Notes      167

A Selected Bibliography      187

Index      193

“looks at the editorial philosophy of the African American press…. A useful purchase”—Choice; “detailed…covers an important aspect of black history”—Booklist.