Arkansas State Press facts for kids

The Arkansas State Press was a newspaper for African Americans. It was published every week from 1941 to 1959. Many people called it "Little Rock's leading African-American newspaper." Daisy Bates and L. C. Bates owned and edited the paper. Historians believe the newspaper was very important. It helped to end segregation in the public schools of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Starting the Newspaper

After moving to Little Rock, the Bateses wanted to own a newspaper. They rented a printing place from a church. On May 9, 1941, they started their weekly newspaper. It was called the State Press.

What the Newspaper Focused On

The State Press mainly focused on telling stories that supported civil rights. It was like other African-American newspapers of that time. Examples include the Chicago Defender and The Crisis. The newspaper quickly showed its strong support for change.

Stories about civil rights were often on the front page. The rest of the paper shared achievements of Black people in Arkansas. There were also many pictures in the newspaper. L. C. Bates wrote strong articles. He believed in speaking out for what was right.

The paper became a strong voice for civil rights. This was even before a big national movement started. It reported on civil rights news from Arkansas and across the country. For example, it covered the sad story of Emmett Till. This story was the main headline. It talked about how white supremacy was linked to the event. The newspaper also covered a terrible fire at the Arkansas Negro Boys' Industrial School. The image was so upsetting that L. C. Bates destroyed the photo and its negative. Later, Daisy Bates became a co-publisher of the paper.

Helping End School Segregation

Daisy Bates was the leader of the Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP. This meant she was very involved in efforts to end segregation. In 1954, the United States Supreme Court made a big decision. It was called Brown v. Board of Education. This decision said that segregated schools were illegal. But schools in Arkansas still did not allow African American students to enroll.

Newspaper's Call for Action

The Bateses wrote strong articles in their newspaper. They said that Black leaders should meet with school officials. They believed in quick change for Arkansas's schools. The State Press wanted immediate reform. It did not want a slow approach. The newspaper reported that the NAACP was organizing protests. It also tried to get more people involved in the school events in Little Rock.

Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus and his supporters did not want to integrate Central High School. They even refused to allow a few Black students. The State Press printed a powerful message on its front page:

It is the belief of this paper that since the Negro's loyalty to America has forced him to shed blood on foreign battle fields against enemies, to safeguard constitutional rights, he is in no mood to sacrifice these rights for peace and harmony at home.

The State Press always covered social news in Arkansas. It strongly supported integrating schools. It showed this support clearly in its pages. In 1957, a white woman threatened Daisy Bates. She said that if Bates did not stop supporting integration, her newspaper and reputation would be destroyed.

Challenges and Closure

Because of its stand on the Little Rock school fight, white businesses stopped advertising. Companies like Southwestern Bell, Arkansas Louisiana Gas, and Arkansas Power and Light (now Entergy) boycotted the newspaper. This was to punish the paper for supporting desegregation. This boycott cut off most of the newspaper's money. The only money came from the NAACP and supporters across the country. Even with this help, the State Press could not keep going. The last issue was published on October 29, 1959.

New Beginnings

After her husband passed away, Daisy Bates brought the State Press back. This was in 1984. She then sold it to Janis F. Kearney in 1987. Janis Kearney published the newspaper for five more years.