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List of African American newspapers in Rhode Island facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

African American newspapers are special newspapers created by and for Black communities. They share news, stories, and ideas important to these communities. In Rhode Island, a few of these newspapers have been published over the years. This article tells you about them, both old and new.

Rhode Island didn't have many African American newspapers. The very first one known was called Eastern Review. It was published by John Henry Ballou from 1879 to 1880. This was the only one in the 1800s. Because of this, Rhode Island was the only state where the number of Black newspapers actually went down between 1880 and 1890.

Besides these newspapers, Rhode Island also saw another important moment for Black journalists. In 1906, John Carter Minkins became the main editor of the Providence News-Democrat. This was a big deal because he was the first African American to lead a daily newspaper that mostly served white readers. Later, in 1911, Minkins bought a weekly newspaper called the Rhode Island Examiner. Under his leadership, this paper focused on important issues for African Americans.

Exploring Rhode Island's Black Newspapers

This section lists the different African American newspapers that have been published in Rhode Island. You'll find out where they were published, when they started, and what kind of newspaper they were.

City Title Beginning End Frequency Call numbers Remarks
Providence The Advance 1906 ? Monthly newspaper
  • This paper stopped publishing for a few months in 1935.
Providence The Providence American 1986 current Biweekly or monthly
  • ISSN 1521-0197 1521-0197
  • LCCN sn92063968
  • Visit their official website here.: http://www.theprovamnews.com
  • Frank Graham started this newspaper. Peter Wells bought it in 2006.
  • Since 2019, it is only available online.
Providence Providence Chronicle 1939 1957 Weekly
  • William D. Wiley was the publisher.
  • In 1951, about 1,541 copies were printed each week.
Providence The Citizen 1968 1970s Weekly
  • John E. Singleton published this paper.
Providence Eastern Review 1879 1880 Weekly
  • John Henry Ballou, Rhode Island's first African American lawyer, edited this paper.
  • About 500 copies were printed each week.
  • This was the only African American newspaper in Rhode Island until at least 1890.
Providence The Ebenezer Grapevine 1978 1980s Monthly newspaper
  • This newspaper was followed by the Ocean State Grapevine.
  • Ebenezer Baptist Church published it.
Providence New England Torch Light / New England Torchlight 1890s Weekly
  • J.W. Henderson published this paper. Barney McKay was the editor.
Providence The North Star 1977 ? Monthly newspaper
Providence Ocean State Grapevine 1986 1980s Twice-monthly or biweekly
  • This paper was called "Rhode Island’s only Black newspaper."
  • It took over from the Ebenezer Grapevine. Coach's Cultural Hour, Inc. published it.
Providence The Sun 1890s Weekly

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List of African American newspapers in Rhode Island Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.