The Colored Citizen (Helena) facts for kids
The Colored Citizen was a newspaper for African Americans. It was printed in Helena, Montana, for two months in 1894. J. P. Ball, Jr., published the paper. He received money from politicians who wanted Helena to become the state capital. The paper supported Helena over Anaconda in a big vote in 1894. This vote was to decide which city would be the capital of Montana.
Contents
The Newspaper's Story
Starting the Paper
The Colored Citizen was created for the Black community in Helena, Montana. About 279 Black people lived there at the time. J. P. Ball, Jr., started the paper in 1894. His father, James Presley Ball, was a well-known photographer. He might have been the only Black photographer in the Pacific Northwest region. This newspaper was only the second one for a Black audience in that area.
Supporting Helena as Capital
The newspaper strongly supported Helena becoming the state capital. It was competing against Anaconda. J. P. Ball, Jr., claimed that Helena had "No Color Line". This meant he believed there was no unfair treatment based on race in Helena.
To show this, he pointed out that his father was running for city coroner. His father was supported by the Republican Party. White politicians helped pay for the newspaper. This was a common way for political groups to gain support for their ideas.
Helping the Community
Even though politicians funded it, the paper also helped the local Black community. It shared stories about unfair treatment in Helena. The newspaper believed that Black settlers in Montana were "pioneers." It said they were truly American.
The paper also criticized some companies. For example, it pointed out that one mining company in Anaconda did not hire any Black workers. It preferred to hire immigrants instead. The newspaper was against the Populist Movement for money-related reasons.
How the Paper Looked
Each issue of The Colored Citizen had four pages. Each page was about 17 by 22 inches in size. The newspaper was printed from the same building as Ball's father's photography business. It was published from September to November 1894. So, it ran for only two months.
