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List of African-American newspapers in California facts for kids

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Pacific Appeal 1862-04-05
Front page of the first issue of The Pacific Appeal, published April 5, 1862.

This is a list of African-American newspapers that have been published in the state of California, including both historical and contemporary publications. California's first such newspaper was the Mirror of the Times, which began publishing in the mid-1850s.

Although the number of African Americans in California did not exceed 1,100 until the 20th century, seven African-American newspapers were established in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 19th century.


Northern California

Northern California counties in red
Northern California

The Northern California region takes up the northern two-thirds of the state, including the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay Area.

City Title Beginning End Frequency Call numbers Remarks
Fresno The California Advocate 1967 current Monthly / irregular or weekly
Menlo Park Ravenswood Post 1963? ? Weekly
  • Published by Clarence A. Burley.
Oakland The Black Panther 1967 1980 Weekly/ Biweekly/ Monthly
  • ISSN 0523-7238
  • LCCN sn7805677, sn86016911
Oakland Illustrated Guide: The recognized organ of the Colored people 1892 ? Weekly
  • Official newspaper of the Afro-American League of Alameda County.
Oakland Oakland Post / Oakland Sunday Post 1963 current Weekly / Triweekly / Daily / Semiweekly
Oakland Oakland Sunshine 1897 1922 Weekly
  • Published by J.M. Bridges.
Oakland Oakland Times 1869 ? Daily (except Sunday)
Oakland San Francisco Post / San Francisco Sunday Post 1963 Twice weekly / Weekly
Oakland Berkeley Tri-city Post 1985 Weekly
Oakland Western American 1926 1929 Weekly
  • Published by S. DeWitt Moss.
Palo Alto Black Times: Voices of the National Community 1971 1976? Monthly
Richmond Richmond Post 1963 current Twice weekly
  • A Post News Group newspaper.
Sacramento The Forum 1906 ? Twice weekly
  • Published by Rev. J. Gordon McPherson. McPherson also published Salt Lake City's Democratic Headlight in 1899.
San Francisco The Elevator: A Weekly Journal of Progress 1865 1904 Weekly
  • Edited by Philip A. Bell
Sacramento The Sacramento Observer 1964? current Weekly
San Francisco African American Chronicle 1991 1993? Monthly newspaper
San Francisco The Free American 1866 ? Weekly
San Francisco The Lunar Visitor 1862 ? Monthly
  • Founded by John Jamison Moore.
San Francisco Pacific Appeal / The Pacific Appeal 1862 1880 Weekly
  • Successor to Mirror of the Times.
San Francisco San Francisco Reporter 1942 ? Weekly
  • Edited and published by W.A. Hambrick.
San Francisco The Sun Reporter 1943 Weekly
San Francisco California Voice 1919 Weekly
San Francisco Western Appeal 1919? ? Twice-monthly
  • Edited by G.E. Watkins, formerly a partner in the publication of the Pacific Coast Appeal.
San Francisco Mirror of the Times 1855, 1856, or 1857 1862 or 1858 Weekly
  • LCCN sn83027100, 2013254322
  • Succeeded by the Pacific Appeal.
San Francisco Peninsula Metro Reporter 1972? 1993? Weekly
San Francisco San Francisco Bay View 1976 current Biweekly
San Francisco San Francisco Metro Reporter 1972 ? Weekly
San Francisco San Francisco Vindicator 1884 1906 Weekly
San Francisco The Western Outlook 1894 1928 Weekly
San Jose The Forum 1908 ? Weekly
  • Edited by J. Gordon McPherson.
San Jose The Phoenix 1891 1892 Daily (except Monday)
  • Successor to the San Jose Daily Times
Stockton Progressor / San Joaquin Progressor 1969 ? Weekly

Southern California

Southern California counties in red noshade
Southern California
California Eagle 1916-04-08
An early African-American newspaper in Southern California, The California Eagle, from 1916.

The Southern California region takes up the southern third of the state, and includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, San Diego, and the Inland Empire region.

City Title Beginning End Frequency Call numbers Remarks
Altadena The Eagle (1973–?) / Pasadena Eagle (1968–1973) 1968 ? Weekly
  • Pasadena Eagle
  • The Eagle
Bakersfield The Bakersfield Advocate 1970s 1979 Weekly
Bakersfield 1970 1970s Weekly *LCCN sn95061892
Bakersfield The Colored Citizen 1914 ? Weekly
  • Billed as “The Only Paper Published in the Interests of Colored People Between San Francisco and Los Angeles.”
Bakersfield The News 1957 ? Monthly newspaper
  • Published by Isaiah E. Owens.
Bakersfield Bakersfield News Observer 1977 Weekly
  • Official site: //www.bakersfieldnewsobserver.com
  • Part of the Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California.
Bakersfield Outlook / The News Publication (1950s–1961) / The Outlook: The News Publication (1961–1964) / The Outlook (1964–1966) / The Outlook News (1966–?) 1950s ? Twice-monthly, later weekly
  • The News Publication
  • The Outlook: The News Publication
  • The Outlook
  • The Outlook News
Beverly Hills The Ethiopian Mirror 1993? ? Monthly newspaper
Compton Compton Bulletin 1970? current Weekly
Compton Metropolitan Gazette 1967? ? Weekly
  • Edited by Mildred L. Hamm.
Compton Compton Star Review 1927? ? Weekly
  • Extant from 1971–1973.
Culver City Culver City Wave 1925 Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Hollywood The National Record 1944 1993? Monthly newspaper.
Los Angeles African Connection Newspaper 1988? Biweekly
Los Angeles South End Bee 1934 1987? Weekly
Los Angeles Bronzeville News 1943 ? Weekly
Los Angeles Herald-Dispatch 1952 Weekly
Los Angeles The California Eagle 1879 1965 Weekly
Los Angeles Central News Wave 1963? Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles Firestone Park News & Southeast News-Press 1954? ? Weekly
Los Angeles Florence Messenger 1939? 1983? Weekly
  • Became part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles Florence News 1986? ? Twice monthly
Los Angeles The Illustrated Journal 1956 ? Weekly
Los Angeles Los Angeles Black Voice 1968 ? Weekly see Black Voice News
Los Angeles Los Angeles Herald 1950? ? Weekly
Los Angeles (Pacoima) Pacoima Herald-Dispatch 1952 ? Weekly
Los Angeles New Age Dispatch or New Age 1907 1949 Weekly
Inglewood Los Angeles Bay News Observer 1986? Weekly
  • Part of the Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California.
Los Angeles The Weekly Observer 1888 1888 Weekly
Los Angeles Liberator 1901 1913 Weekly
  • LCCN sn2012271153
Los Angeles The Pacific Defender 1923 Weekly
Los Angeles Pacific Enterprise 1927 Weekly
  • Edited by William A. Venerable.
Los Angeles Los Angeles Sentinel 1933 or 1934 current Weekly
Los Angeles Watts Star Review 1875 or 1929 Weekly
Los Angeles Angeles Mesa Wave 1978 ? Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles Hawthorne Wave 1981 1987? Weekly
  • A Los Angeles Wave publication.
  • Successor to the Inglewood Hawthorne Wave.
Los Angeles Inglewood Wave 1981 1987? Weekly
Los Angeles Southwest Wave 1920 1987? Weekly
  • LCCN sn84025864, sn95061657
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles Topics / Sun Wave 1942? Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles Westchester Wave 1921? Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles The Western Clarion 1926? ? Weekly
Los Angeles The Western Dispatch 1921 ? Weekly
Los Angeles The Western News 1889 1889 Weekly
Los Angeles Inglewood Hawthorne Wave 1987? Weekly
  • Later replaced by Inglewood Wave and Hawthorne Wave
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles L.A. Watts Times 1976? Weekly
Los Angeles / Inglewood The Los Angeles Community Circle News / Los Angeles Community Circle Clipper 1989 Bimonthly newspaper
Los Angeles Los Angeles Illustrated Reflector 1934? ? Weekly
Los Angeles Los Angeles Tribune 1941 1960 Weekly
Los Angeles The Los Angeles Truth 1935? ? Unknown
Los Angeles The National Negro Press 1970? ? Unknown
Los Angeles The Search Light and Open Sesame 1893 1908 Weekly
Los Angeles (or Bakersfield) United Pictorial Review 1965 or 1966 ? Weekly
  • Published by George Scott Jr.
Los Angeles Southeast Star Wave 1938? 1987? Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles Southern California Guide 1892 1895 Weekly
Los Angeles Southside Journal Wave 1937? 1987? Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles Southwestern Sun Wave 1947? 1987? Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles Tribune Mesa News Wave 1978 Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Los Angeles Wave 1958? Weekly
  • Part of the Los Angeles Wave newspaper family.
Pasadena The Western Herald 1925? ? Weekly
Redlands The Colored Citizen 1905 1906 Monthly newspaper
  • Published by Robert Henry Harbert and H.A. Harroll
Riverside Black Voice News 1972 current Weekly
San Bernardino Precinct Reporter 1965 Weekly
San Bernardino The San Bernardino American 1969 Weekly
San Diego San Diego Voice & Viewpoint 1960 Current Weekly https://sdvoice.info/
San Diego San Diego Eagle 1923? ? Weekly
Santa Ana The Orange County Star Review 1971 1973? Weekly
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