Daniel Rudd facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daniel Arthur Rudd
Born	August 7, 1854 Bardstown, Kentucky
Died	December 3, 1933 Bardstown, Kentucky
Burial place	St Joseph Cemetery, Bardstown, Kentucky
Monuments	Historical markers at St Joseph Cemetery in Bardstown and St Raphael Catholic Church in Springfield, Ohio
Nationality	American
Occupation	Journalist, activist
Employer	Scott Bond
Organization	American Catholic Tribune, Colored Catholic Congress
Movement	Colored Conventions Movement, proto-Black Catholic Movement
Parent(s)	Robert and Elizabeth Rudd

Daniel Arthur Rudd (born August 7, 1854 – died December 3, 1933) was an important Black Catholic journalist and an early leader in the fight for Civil Rights.

He is famous for starting a newspaper in 1885 called the Ohio Tribune. It was one of the first newspapers printed by and for Black Americans. Later, he made it bigger and renamed it the American Catholic Tribune. This was thought to be the first national newspaper owned by Black people. The newspaper stopped printing in 1897.

Daniel Rudd also started a group called the Colored Catholic Congress in 1889. This group held five meetings and worked until 1894.

Daniel Arthur Rudd's Story

His Early Life

Daniel Rudd was born on August 7, 1854, in Bardstown, Kentucky. His parents, Robert and Elizabeth Rudd, were enslaved. Daniel and his 11 brothers and sisters were all baptized in the Catholic Church.

Daniel was a very religious person. We don't know exactly when he decided to dedicate his life to promoting Catholicism. He eventually became free from slavery. As a young adult, before 1876, he moved to Springfield, Ohio.

At that time, many people in America disliked Catholics. Some even threatened them or burned their churches. This made Rudd want to speak out. He felt that public schools in Springfield were not teaching values that Catholics believed were important.

Rudd also helped to end segregation in Springfield's public schools. He worked with the Black community there starting in 1881.

His Career in Journalism

Rudd began his journalism career at the Sunday News. He worked there as a printer, reporter, and editor. He wanted to use his writing to protect the civil rights of African Americans, much like Frederick Douglass did. Rudd believed that newspapers were very important for Black people to make progress. He also thought that editors and journalists could teach and convince leaders in the Catholic Church, businesses, and the community.

Starting His Own Newspaper

In 1885, Rudd started his first Catholic newspaper, the Ohio Tribune. It was the first Black newspaper printed by and for the Black community. This local weekly newspaper was small and didn't do very well at first.

After only one year, Daniel moved his newspaper company to Cincinnati. There, he started writing articles about important issues for Black people, like segregation and unfair treatment. This new version, called the American Catholic Tribune, was the first national Catholic newspaper owned and run by Black people.

Rudd believed his newspaper was important for showing that the Catholic Church could help bring equality and fairness to African Americans. He wrote:

“The Catholic Church alone can break the color line. Our people should help her to do it.” (American Catholic Tribune)

Important Catholic leaders, like Cardinal Gibbons and several archbishops and bishops, supported the Tribune. Their names were even listed on the newspaper's masthead.

Rudd was also a smart businessman. He knew how to reach out to people who shared his goals for change. To earn money for his work, he used the Tribune to advertise his own printing school. This helped him grow his business. He printed custom cards, letterheads, books, and other documents.

He also earned money from newspaper subscriptions. Both Catholic and Protestant readers in Northern and Midwestern states subscribed. Many bishops, priests, and even Protestants gave him money because they saw his strong desire to fight for change.

In 1891, he worked with Ida B. Wells and her newspaper, the Memphis Free Speech. They hired someone to investigate how African Americans were being treated in the Southern states that used to be part of the Confederacy.

Rudd's printing business was successful for a while. By 1892, his newspaper was printing 10,000 copies. Because of his success, the Afro-American Press League asked Rudd to be its president. This group included about 200 Black newspapers across the country. Rudd took on this role while also running his printing business and school.

The Colored Catholic Congress

Rudd was a very watchful activist. He paid attention to different groups and their discussions. He especially watched the German Roman Catholic Central Verein. In 1887, Rudd went to a meeting in Chicago. When he came back, he noticed that German and Irish Catholics were organized, but Black Americans were not. He decided to bring Black Catholics together to talk about problems in their community.

He wanted to create a Catholic congress where everyone, no matter their race, could attend. Rudd believed that for Black people to gain freedom, they had to be the ones to "strike a blow." He thought that to bring more Black people into the Catholic church, they needed to find out how many Black Catholics there were and then "put that force to work."

In May 1888, Rudd invited Black Catholics from all over the country to join under the "Blessing of Holy Mother Church." He believed this group could help lift all African Americans in the eyes of God and humanity. Rudd's work went beyond just equality. He also spoke out about national issues like legal segregation, equal rights for women, lynching, unfair treatment, jobs, and school segregation. He wanted to include all the unfairness faced by people of color, especially in Africa and Latin America.

The Colored Catholic Congress held its first meeting in Washington, D.C. in 1889. At this meeting, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, who was the first openly Black priest in the nation, celebrated Mass. About 200 people attended and even met with President Grover Cleveland. The Congress met for five more years before it stopped. (A group with a similar name and goals was started again in 1987.)

The Tribune Closes

In 1897, the Tribune newspaper closed down. This happened because of an economic slowdown and more competition from other newspapers in Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Also, new Black Catholic newspapers were starting in other parts of the country.

Later Work

After his journalism career, Rudd made some personal changes. He decided to move to the South, looking for work in Mississippi and Arkansas. He might have been drawn to the South because Black people could buy land cheaply there. He worked in Bolivar County, Mississippi, managing a lumber mill. Later, he worked for Scott Bond, who was the first Black millionaire in Arkansas.

Rudd also worked as a business manager, accountant, inventor, and teacher. After a while, Rudd noticed that the movement for equality for African Americans was moving very slowly. This led him to agree with Booker T. Washington's idea of "self-help." This idea focused on starting and building businesses, rather than focusing on faith and churches, to achieve economic growth and change. However, Rudd's belief in this idea didn't last long. In 1919, he was invited to and participated in the NAACP convention in Cleveland.

His Death

In 1932, Rudd had a stroke. His family brought him back to his childhood home in Bardstown. He passed away there on December 3, 1933, at the age of 79.

He is buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery, which is next to the church he attended as a child (now called the Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral).

His Personal Life

Many Catholic leaders and Rudd's close friends said he was very smart, a great businessman, and could speak several languages. But one thing that truly stood out about Rudd was his strong faith in his Catholic upbringing and beliefs.

His Legacy and Honors

Daniel Rudd is still a very important figure in the history of Black Catholicism. He is highly honored by those who follow Black Catholicism and by the larger American Catholic Church.

In Fall 2020, Rudd's childhood church, working with the Archdiocese of Louisville, announced plans to put up a historical marker at his gravesite. This marker was unveiled on All Saints' Day that year, remembering his big impact on American Catholicism and the United States.