List of African American newspapers in Illinois facts for kids
Did you know that newspapers made by and for African Americans have a long and important history in Illinois? These newspapers shared news, stories, and ideas that were important to their communities. They also helped people connect and fight for their rights.
The very first African American newspaper in Illinois was the Cairo Weekly Gazette, started in 1862. In Chicago, the first one was The Chicago Conservator, which began in 1878. By 1975, about 190 Black newspapers had been started in Illinois, and even more have appeared since then!
Many of these newspapers focused on local news. But some, like Chicago's Chicago Defender and Muhammad Speaks, became very famous across the whole country. Big newspaper groups, like the Defender syndicate and Associated Negro Press, also had their main offices in Chicago.
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Newspapers in Northern Illinois
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Northern Illinois is the busiest part of the state. Most people live in the Chicago metropolitan area. Because of this, most African American newspapers in this region were started in or near Chicago.
Many newspapers were published in Chicago. Here are some of the most well-known:
- The Chicago Bee (1925-1947): This newspaper was founded by Anthony Overton.
- Black X-Press (1973-1970s): Started by Lu Palmer.
- The Broad Ax (1895-1935): This paper moved to Chicago in 1899 after starting in Utah.
- Bulletin (1958-1972)
- The Chicago Courier (1938-present): This was connected to the Pittsburgh Courier.
- Chicago Defender (1905-current): This is one of the most famous Black newspapers. It was a weekly paper, then a daily from 1956 to 2008. Since 2019, it's only online.
- Crusader (1937-present)
- New Crusader (1940-current): Published by Balm Leavell and later by Dorothy Leavell.
- The Final Call (1979-current): This is the official newspaper of the Nation of Islam.
- Muhammad Speaks (1961-1975): Another very important newspaper.
- Search Light (1910-1932)
- The Chicago Whip (1919-1939)
Other cities in Northern Illinois also had important newspapers:
- Evanston: The Evanston Weekly (1915-1931) and Evanston Guide (1929-1932) were published here.
- Harvey: The Chicago South Suburban News (1964-1972) and Suburban Journal (1968-present) served this area.
- Hopkins Park: The Pembroke Herald Eagle (1961-1983) was published here by Ozroe Bentley, who was known as "the conscience of a community."
- Robbins: The Herald (1917-1950) was a weekly paper with a circulation of 3,800 copies.
- Rockford: The Crusader (1950-1972) and Vital Force (1985-2000s) were important newspapers in Rockford.
Newspapers in Central Illinois
Central Illinois is the middle part of the state. It includes the state capital, Springfield, and other cities like Bloomington, Champaign, Danville, Decatur, Galesburg, and Peoria.
Some notable newspapers from this region include:
- Bloomington: The American Pilot (1896-1899) was published by Henry Washington Jameson, a minister and lawyer.
- Champaign: The Illinois Times (1941-1971) and Plain Truth (1967-1969), which was the first "black power" publication in Champaign-Urbana.
- Decatur: The Voice (1967-present) was a very influential newspaper. Its publisher, Horace Livingston, Jr., even has a sculpture dedicated to him in Decatur! The Voice also had editions for Bloomington, Peoria, and Springfield.
- Galesburg: The Illinois Star (1935-1941?) was published here.
- Litchfield: The Afro-American Advocate (1892-1893) was special because it was the only African American newspaper in Illinois at the time that supported the Democratic Party.
- Peoria: Many papers were published in Peoria, including Black Rapper (1968-1970) and Peoria Whirlwind (1962-1970s).
- Springfield: The state capital had several important papers:
- Capital City Courier (2005-current): This is a monthly newspaper.
- Illinois Chronicle (1912/1917-1969)
- Illinois Conservator (1902/1905-1950s): This paper was known for speaking out strongly after the Springfield race riot of 1908.
- PURE NEWS USA (1983-current): This newspaper has readers all over the country.
- Springfield's Voice (1973-current)
- The State Capital (1886-1915/1910): In 1891, it was called the "leading organ of the race, west of the Ohio River."
Newspapers in Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois, sometimes called "Little Egypt," is the southern part of the state and has fewer people. A large part of its population lives in Metro East, which is across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. As mentioned earlier, Illinois' first African American newspaper, the Cairo Weekly Gazette, started in Cairo in 1862.
Here are some important newspapers from Southern Illinois:
- Alton: The Advance Citizen (1892-1932) was part of a group of five Advance Citizen papers published across central Illinois.
- Cairo:
- Weekly Gazette (1862-1890): This was the very first African American newspaper in Illinois. In 1882, its daily edition became the first daily African American newspaper in the United States. It was published by William S. Scott.
- Cairo News / United Front News (1971-present): Edited by Preston Ewing, this paper was very important in sharing information during the fight against discrimination in Cairo.
- East St. Louis:
- The Crusader (1941/1943-present): This paper had a circulation of 7,000 copies in 1966.
- Monitor (1962/1963-current)
- Negro Democrat / Spotlight (1933-present): This was the official newspaper for the Downstate Negro Democratic League.
- Metropolis: The Metropolis Gazette (1897/1898-1938) was a weekly newspaper.
- Mound City: The Egyptian Sun (1924-1940) and Star (1908-1925) were published here.
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