Those who have wondered whatever "happened" to the Black press will find answers in this informative and entertaining book that addresses the various issues that contributed to the decline of African American newspapers and examines whether new media platforms of the 21st century can fill the void. Written by a recognized Black press scholar and professional journalist, the book explores the historic development of African American newspapers from their African roots to the founding of their first weekly journal and into the glory years as the communication foundation for the Civil Rights Movement. In the process the author reveals little known facts about the ways in which the Black press wove itself into the fabric of American culture among the White and Black populations. Along the way this easy-to-read volume brings to life interesting historical facts including: -- The early development of literary and publishing endeavors among Black people in colonial America and what Thomas Jefferson wrote about them. -- The ironic consequences that visited White publications following the U.S. Supreme Court's racial segregation decision in Plessy vs. Ferguson. -- The roles played by aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright in the launch of a Black newspaper published by Paul Laurence Dunbar. -- How the Black press reacted to the controversial success of the Amos 'N' Andy radio show in the 1930s. -- Why the Black press found itself at a disadvantage in reporting the Civil Rights Movement for which it had been largely responsible. -- What factors led to the strained relationship between the Black press and African American journalists who work for White-owned news organizations. Whither the Black Press? is a well written, interpretive historical account of African American newspapers and their struggle for survival against the backdrop of hegemonic White political, social and economic forces. It brings perspective and understanding of how a venerable African American institution journeyed through a glorious past into an uncertain future.
About the Author: Clint C. Wilson II, Ed.D. is Graduate Professor Emeritous in the Howard University School of Communications where he teaches courses in communication, culture and media studies. He is a recipient of the Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism from the University of Missouri and the Lionel Barrow Award for Distinguished Achievement in Diversity Research and Education. He has lectured at academic symposia at colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad at Oxford University. Dr. Wilson is widely regarded among the nation's foremost scholars of the Black press and his book "A History of the Black Press," completed the unfinished work of the late African American journalism historian Dr. Armistead S. Pride. The book was cited as one of the 35 "most significant books of the 20th century" by Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. He has authored or co-authored seven other books including "Racism, Sexism and the Media: Multicultural Issues Into the New Communiations Age." The Society of Professional Journalists honored that work with its 2003 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Excellence in Journalism Research. Dr. Wilson's professional journalism career includes work for various news media organizations including the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, St. Petersburg Times, USA Today.com and the Los Angeles Sentinel.