kids encyclopedia robot

African-American newspapers in Indiana facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Indianapolis Leader
Front page of the Indianapolis Leader, one of Indiana's first African-American newspapers.
Gary Crusader distribution rack
Newspaper rack with issues of the Gary Crusader in 2020.

African-American Newspapers in Indiana

Did you know that many important newspapers created by and for African Americans have been published in Indiana? These newspapers were super important because they shared news, stories, and opinions that were often ignored by mainstream newspapers. They helped keep communities connected and informed.

The very first African-American newspaper in Indiana might have been the Our Age from Evansville, which started around 1878. But some people think it was the Indianapolis Leader or the Logansport Colored Visitor, both of which began in August 1879.

A study in 1996 looked at Indiana's African-American newspapers and found that most of them (about two-thirds) started before 1915. This was just before the Great Migration, when many African Americans moved from the Southern states to the North. Even though many of these newspapers didn't last long (only about a quarter lasted more than five years), new ones kept popping up throughout the 1900s and even into the 2000s!

Most of these newspapers were published in big cities like Indianapolis and Evansville. In northern Indiana, Gary had the most African-American newspapers.

Sometimes, these newspapers were published only now and then, or for special reasons. In the 1800s, many short-lived newspapers were actually "political broadsheets" – like flyers or posters – made just for a specific election to share political ideas.

Today, some of the African-American newspapers still being published in Indiana include the Gary Crusader, the Indianapolis Recorder, the Fort Wayne Ink Spot, and Evansville's Our Times Newspaper.

Newspapers in Northern Indiana

Northern Indiana is the top part of the state, known for its industrial areas like the Calumet Region and cities such as South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Logansport.

City Title Beginning End Frequency Call numbers Remarks
East Chicago The Forum 1950 ? Weekly
East Chicago
  • East Chicago Voice
  • Citizen Voice
 1962 1970s Weekly
  • Edited by Thorton Smith.
Elkhart Spirit Publications 1975 ? Weekly
  • Was published at least until 1976.
Fort Wayne Coffee Break 1960s 1960s Weekly
  • Published by Joe H. Andrews. Copies from 1968 and 1969 still exist.
Fort Wayne Frost Illustrated 1968 2017 Weekly
Fort Wayne Ink 2001 2009 Weekly
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne Ink Spot 2018 current Biweekly
Fort Wayne The Fort Wayne Observer 1900s 1900s Weekly
  • Known to exist from 1955.
Gary
  • Gary American
  • The Gary Colored American (1927–1928)
 1927 ? Weekly, later biweekly
  • LCCN sn86058053
  • Gary Colored American:
Gary The Commonwealth 1924 1934 Weekly
Gary The Gary Crusader 1961 current Weekly
  • LCCN sn83025624
  • ISSN 1930-7012 1930-7012
  • Published by Dorothy Leavell.
Gary Gary Dispatch, later Lake County Journal 1921 1924 Weekly or irregular
Gary Gary Info 1963 ? Weekly
  • LCCN sn87055756, sn94085049
  • Published by Imogene Harris.
Gary Lake County Observer 1946 1950 Irregular
Gary
  • Gary Sun
  • National Defender And Sun
 1905 1931 or 1929 Weekly
  • LCCN sn83025598, sn87056403, sn87056497, sn87056498
  • Moved to Gary from Milwaukee in the 1910s, and became a national women's magazine around 1923.
Logansport The Colored Visitor 1879 1879 Twice monthly or irregular
  • LCCN 2011254353, sn82016213
Marion Community Express 1980 1981 (uncertain) Weekly
  • Published by James Carter.
South Bend South Bend Forum 1923 1900s Weekly
South Bend South Bend Herald-Times 1950s 1900s
South Bend South Bend Journal 1928 ? Weekly
  • Edited by William D. LaMarr.
South Bend The Reformer 1967 1971 Weekly
South Bend Observer 1913

Newspapers in Central Indiana

Central Indiana is the middle part of the state. It includes the state capital, Indianapolis, and other cities like Anderson, Muncie, and Terre Haute.

City Title Beginning End Frequency Call numbers Remarks
Anderson The Shining Star 1922 1927 (uncertain) Weekly or irregular
Indianapolis The Anthem 1991 ? Weekly
Indianapolis Argus 1886 1887
Indianapolis Black Focus Newsweekly 1996 ? Weekly
Indianapolis Courier 1893 1890s
Indianapolis Indianapolis Freeman 1884 or 1888 1926 Weekly
  • LCCN 2011254382, sn82016211
  • This was the first illustrated Black newspaper in the United States!
Indianapolis
  • Indiana Herald (1957–)
  • Hoosier Herald (1949–1957)
  • Indianapolis Herald-Tribune (1957–1960)
  • Indiana Herald-Times
  • Indianapolis Herald-Times
 1949 2010s Weekly
  • LCCN sn84025903, sn84025904, sn84025905, sn84025906
  • Operated from 1958 to 1983 by Opal L. Tandy.
Indianapolis Indy Word 1989 ? 14 times a year
Indianapolis Indianapolis Leader 1879 1890 Weekly
  • LCCN 2013272083, sn84027490
  • ISSN 2332-2527 2332-2527
  • Published by J.D. Bagby.
Indianapolis Indianapolis Ledger 1912 or 1913 1921? or 1925? Weekly
  • LCCN 2012254025, sn85047649
  • ISSN 2574-4534 2574-4534
  • One historian said it was "undoubtedly subsidized by the Klan" (meaning it might have been secretly supported by the Ku Klux Klan).
  • Edited by William H. Jackson.
Indianapolis
  • Indianapolis Post
  • Midwestern Post
 1943 1947? Weekly
  • LCCN sn87056553, sn87056554
  • Might have later become the Hoosier Herald.
  • Published by Lowell M. Trice.
Indianapolis Indianapolis Recorder 1896 or 1897 current Weekly
  • LCCN sn82014475, sn84025902, 2014254306
  • This is Indiana's longest-running Black newspaper!
Indianapolis Indianapolis Daily Standard 1922
Indianapolis Urban Times 1996 (uncertain) ? Weekly
  • Published by Richard Bottoms.
  • This is different from another Indianapolis monthly newspaper with the same name that started in 2005.
Indianapolis Indianapolis Visions 1982 (uncertain) 1986 Weekly, later monthly
  • Edited by Jane Saxton. Published by Philip Saxton.
Indianapolis Indianapolis Voice 1957 1958 (uncertain) Weekly
Indianapolis Indianapolis World, originally Indianapolis Colored World 1883 (uncertain) 1932 Weekly ("generally")
  • LCCN sn82016212, 2012254026
Indianapolis
  • Indianapolis World Telegram
  • The World Telegram
  • World-Telegram
 1929 or 1939 1940 Weekly or irregular
  • Published by G.L. Porter.
Muncie The Muncie Times 1991 2011 Twice monthly or biweekly
  • Stopped publishing after its founder and publisher, Bea Moten-Foster, passed away in 2011.
Richmond Richmond Blade 1918 1922 Weekly or irregular
  • Its motto was: "Hew to the line; let the quips fall where they may."
Richmond Interview 1906
Richmond Indiana Register 1906 1908
Terre Haute Afro-American Journal 1895 1896 Irregular
Terre Haute The Eagle 1906 Irregular
Terre Haute The Right Way 1896 1898 Irregular
Terre Haute The Times 1909 1912 Irregular
Terre Haute Vanguard News August 5, 1994 February 4-18, 1995 Biweekly, then monthly Edited by Phillip Norton. Its goal was: "It is about black people taking care of business. The business of and for black people. We will also contribute to the development of a viable black community.”

Newspapers in Southern Indiana

Southern Indiana is the bottom part of the state. It's home to Indiana's third-largest city, Evansville, and other smaller cities along the Ohio River.

City Title Beginning End Frequency Call numbers Remarks
Evansville Argus 1938 1943 Weekly
Evansville Chronicle 1882 Irregular
Evansville Clarion 1914 1915 Irregular
Evansville Consolidated News 1943 1956 (uncertain) Weekly or irregular
Evansville Graphic 1891 Irregular
Evansville Guide 1908 Irregular
Evansville Inner City Reporter 1981 1984 Biweekly or monthly
Evansville Negro Press 1911 Irregular
  • This was a political campaign tract, like a flyer for an election.
Evansville Our Age, later Our Weekly Age 1875? or 1878 ? Weekly
  • Published by Edwin Horn, who later helped start the Indianapolis World. It was published at least until 1880.
Evansville Our Times Newspaper 1983 current Biweekly or semimonthly
Evansville Pilot 1888 Irregular
Evansville The Right Way 1880 Irregular
Evansville The Transcript 1905 Irregular
Evansville The Watch Tower 1880s Irregular
New Albany New Albany Weekly Review 1881 1880s Weekly
  • LCCN sn86058076, 2013254360

See also

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
African-American newspapers in Indiana Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.