Baltimore Afro-American facts for kids
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| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Publisher | Frances M. Draper |
| Founded | 13 August 1892 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | |
| Country | United States |
| ISSN | 2473-5973 |
| OCLC number | 7642696 |
The Baltimore Afro-American, often called The Afro or Afro News, is a weekly newspaper for African Americans. It is published in Baltimore, Maryland. This newspaper is the main one in the AFRO-American group. It is also the oldest family-owned Black newspaper in the United States, started in 1892.
Contents
History of The AFRO Newspaper
How The AFRO Began
The Afro-American newspaper first started as the Home Protector. Reverend William Alexander created and edited it in 1889. With help from investors like John R. Cole and William H. Daly, the Home Protector became the Afro-American on August 13, 1892.
In 1895, a company called Northwestern Family Supply took over. But this company went bankrupt. This almost caused the newspaper to close down.
John H. Murphy Sr. Takes Over
In 1897, the printing machines for the Afro-American were for sale. John H. Murphy Sr. was in charge of the printing press at the paper. He bought the equipment for $200, borrowing the money from his wife, Martha Howard Murphy. Since then, the Afro-American has been owned by the Murphy family.
John H. Murphy Sr. was born into slavery. He fought in the Civil War for the United States Colored Troops. After the war, he worked many different jobs. He was active in the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore. This church was one of the first independent Black religions in the U.S.
Murphy combined his church newspaper, The Sunday School Helper, with two other church papers. These were The Ledger and The Afro-American. With The Afro-American, Murphy worked to unite the Black community in Baltimore. He also fought against unfair treatment in the city. He worked hard for children's education. He spoke out against unfairness in schools, jobs, and housing. In 1913, he became president of the National Negro Press Association.
Fighting for Rights
In 1905, the Afro-American told its readers to vote against the Poe Amendment. This law aimed to stop Black people from voting. When the Strauss Amendment came in 1908, the paper kept fighting. It spoke out against those who supported the law.
Carl J. Murphy Expands The AFRO
The newspaper grew much larger after John H. Murphy Sr.'s son, Carl J. Murphy, took over in 1922. Carl Murphy was the editor for 45 years. He made the paper available in nine different national versions. Papers were published in 13 major cities.
At its busiest, the paper printed two weekly versions in Baltimore. It also had weekly versions in cities like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Richmond, Virginia. Many Black people moved to these northern cities during the Great Migration. Today, the AFRO-American has two city versions: one in Baltimore and one for Washington, D.C.
During the 1924 presidential election, the Afro-American supported the Progressives. This group was led by Elisabeth Coit Gilman and Broadus Mitchell.
Carl Murphy used the newspaper's opinion pages to push for change. He wanted African Americans to be hired by Baltimore's police and fire departments. He also wanted Black people to be part of the government. He pushed for a state university to educate African Americans.
Important Campaigns and Reporters
In the 1930s, The AFRO-American started a successful program called “The Clean Block” campaign. This campaign still exists today. It became an annual event. Its goal was to make inner-city neighborhoods look better and have less crime.
The AFRO-American also fought against unfair rules on trains. It worked to get equal pay for Black schoolteachers in Maryland.
During World War II, The AFRO-American sent reporters to many places. They went to Europe, Africa, Japan, and other parts of the world. They gave readers direct news about the war. One of its reporters was Elizabeth Murphy Phillips Moss, Carl Murphy's daughter. She was the first Black female war reporter.
The AFRO-American worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). They worked together on many civil rights cases. In the 1950s, the newspaper joined the NAACP in a lawsuit. This lawsuit was against the University of Maryland Law School for its unfair admission rules. Their work helped lead to the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision. This decision made segregated public schools illegal. The AFRO-American also supported actor Paul Robeson and sociologist W.E.B. DuBois. This was during a time when people were worried about communism.
The AFRO-American has hired many important Black journalists and thinkers. These include Langston Hughes and William Worthy. In the mid-1930s, it was the first Black newspaper to hire female sportswriters. Lillian Johnson and Nell Dodson joined its staff. Famous artist Romare Bearden started his career as a cartoonist at The AFRO-American in 1936.
Sam Lacy became the paper's sports editor in 1943. He wrote a weekly column called ”A to Z”. He used his column to push for integration in professional sports. Lacy and other sports writers helped open doors for Black athletes. After Carl Murphy died in 1967, his daughter Frances L. Murphy II became chairman and publisher. In 1974, John Murphy III, Carl's nephew, became chairman and later the publisher.
Both John H. Murphy Sr. and his son Carl J. Murphy have been honored. They were added to the MDDC Press Association's Hall of Fame. This was for their important work in journalism.
The AFRO Today
Today, the AFRO is led by the great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of John H. Murphy Sr. It works with Morgan State University's School of Global Journalism and Communication. This partnership gives students real-world experience in journalism and public relations.
University Collaborative Archival Project
In November 2007, five students from Baltimore schools were chosen. They were from Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, and Goucher College. They began a project to explore the newspaper's old records. These records are kept at the newspaper's headquarters. They include old writings, articles, photos, and clippings from when the paper started. The project aims to find, organize, and create an online database for these materials.
See also
- Media in Baltimore
- List of newspapers in Maryland
