This is a list of African American newspapers that have been published in the state of Rhode Island. It includes both current and historical newspapers.
Relatively few African American newspapers have been published in Rhode Island. The first known such newspaper, and the only one published in the 19th century, was John Henry Ballou's Eastern Review (1879–1880). Rhode Island was thus the only state to show a net drop in African American newspapers between 1880 and 1890, namely from 1 to 0, as Irvine Garland Penn recorded in The Afro-American Press and Its Editors.
In addition to its African American newspapers, Rhode Island is the site of another important advancement in the history of the Black press: when John Carter Minkins became editor-in-chief of the Providence News-Democrat in 1906, he was the first African American to head a daily newspaper that catered to the white community. Upon leaving the News-Democrat in 1911, Minkins purchased the weekly Rhode Island Examiner, which under his leadership gave front-page coverage to issues affecting African Americans.
Newspapers
| City |
Title |
Beginning |
End |
Frequency |
Call numbers |
Remarks |
| Providence |
The Advance |
1906 |
? |
Monthly newspaper |
|
- Suspended publication from June to December 1935.
|
| Providence |
The Providence American |
1986 |
current |
Biweekly or monthly |
- ISSN 1521-0197 1521-0197
- LCCN sn92063968
|
- Official site: http://www.theprovamnews.com
- Founded by Frank Graham, and purchased by Peter Wells in 2006.
- Became online-only in 2019.
|
| Providence |
Providence Chronicle |
1939 |
1957 |
Weekly |
|
- Published by William D. Wiley.
- Circulation of 1,541 in 1951.
|
| Providence |
The Citizen |
1968 |
1970s |
Weekly |
|
- Published by John E. Singleton
|
| Providence |
Eastern Review |
1879 |
1880 |
Weekly |
|
- Edited by John Henry Ballou, Rhode Island's first African American attorney.
- Weekly circulation of approximately 500.
- Only African American newspaper published in Rhode Island through at least 1890.
|
| Providence |
The Ebenezer Grapevine |
1978 |
1980s |
Monthly newspaper |
|
- Followed by the Ocean State Grapevine.
- Published by Ebenezer Baptist Church.
|
| Providence |
New England Torch Light / New England Torchlight |
1890s |
|
Weekly |
|
- Published by J.W. Henderson. Edited by Barney McKay.
|
| Providence |
The North Star |
1977 |
? |
Monthly newspaper |
|
|
| Providence |
Ocean State Grapevine |
1986 |
1980s |
Twice-monthly or biweekly |
|
- Billed as “Rhode Island’s only Black newspaper.”
- Successor to the Ebenezer Grapevine, and published by Coach's Cultural Hour, Inc.
|
| Providence |
The Sun |
1890s |
|
Weekly |
|
|
See also
