St. Louis Argus facts for kids
The St. Louis Argus is a newspaper that focuses on African-American news. It comes out once a week. Brothers Joseph Everett Mitchell and William Mitchell started it in 1912. The newspaper first began as a simple newsletter for an insurance company called Western Union Relief Association. Today, the Argus is the oldest continuous Black-owned business in St. Louis, Missouri.
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The St. Louis Argus Newspaper
What Does "Argus" Mean?
The name "Argus" comes from an old Greek story. In this story, there was a creature called Argus Panoptes. This creature had a hundred eyes that never all closed at the same time! The newspaper chose this name to show that it would be like a "never-sleeping crusader." It would always be watching what was happening in the African-American community. The Argus also wanted to publish stories that would help Black people moving to St. Louis from the South. These stories helped them understand and deal with the challenges of segregation in the North.
Why Was the Newspaper Started?
One main goal of the St. Louis Argus was to help the Black community come together for political action. The people who edited the newspaper promised their readers that it would be fair, balanced, and brave in its reporting. The Argus strongly supported better schools and more chances for education for Black children. It also fought for full civil rights for all Black people.
Awards and Recognition
The Argus won a special award called the Russwurm award. This award is named after John Brown Russwurm. He was one of the people who started the very first Black newspaper, Freedom’s Journal, in 1827.
Important People Behind the Argus
The St. Louis Argus started small, as just an insurance company newsletter. But J. E. Mitchell, William Mitchell, and their partners worked hard to build it into a professional newspaper. The St. Louis Argus newspaper and its publishing company made great progress. People in the St. Louis community trusted the newspaper. They also saw its publishers and editors as important leaders. J. E. Mitchell, especially, was known as a leader in Black journalism and in the city of St. Louis.
