List of African American newspapers in Rhode Island

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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).[1] 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.[2]

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.[3] 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.[4]

Newspapers[edit]

City Title Beginning End Frequency Call numbers Remarks
Providence The Advance 1906[5] ?[5] Monthly newspaper[5]
  • LCCN sn92063903
  • OCLC 25116082
  • Suspended publication from June to December 1935.[5]
Providence The Providence American 1986[6] current Biweekly[6] or monthly[7]
  • Official site
  • Founded by Frank Graham, and purchased by Peter Wells in 2006.[8]
  • Became online-only in 2019.[8]
Providence Providence Chronicle 1939[9] 1957[9] Weekly[9]
  • Published by William D. Wiley.[10]
  • Circulation of 1,541 in 1951.[11]
Providence The Citizen 1968[12] 1970s[12] Weekly[12]
  • Published by John E. Singleton[12]
Providence Eastern Review 1879[13][14] 1880[13] Weekly[15]
  • Edited by John Henry Ballou, Rhode Island's first African American attorney.[14]
  • Weekly circulation of approximately 500.[15]
  • Only African American newspaper published in Rhode Island through at least 1890.[2]
Providence The Ebenezer Grapevine 1978[16] 1980s[16] Monthly newspaper[16]
  • Followed by the Ocean State Grapevine.[16]
  • Published by Ebenezer Baptist Church.[16]
Providence New England Torch Light / New England Torchlight 1890s Weekly[17]
Providence The North Star 1977[20] ?[20] Monthly newspaper[20]
Providence Ocean State Grapevine 1986[22] 1980s[21] Twice-monthly[21] or biweekly[22]
  • Billed as “Rhode Island’s only Black newspaper.”
  • Successor to the Ebenezer Grapevine, and published by Coach's Cultural Hour, Inc.[21]
Providence The Sun 1890s Weekly[17]

See also[edit]

Works cited[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Penn 1891, pp. 113–114.
  2. ^ a b Penn 1891, p. 114.
  3. ^ Lemons & Lambert 2003, p. 413.
  4. ^ Lemons & Lambert 2003, pp. 424–425.
  5. ^ a b c d "About The advance. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  6. ^ a b Danky & Hady 1998, p. 477, ¶ 4969.
  7. ^ "About The Providence American. (Providence, R.I.) 198?-201?". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  8. ^ a b "RI's Media Decline — Projo Staff Cuts, Providence American Stops Printing and Pivots to Digital". GoLocalProv.com. 2019-01-30. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  9. ^ a b c "About Providence chronicle. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1939-1957". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  10. ^ Bell, Andrew J. (1997). An assessment of life in Rhode Island as an African American in the era from 1918 to 1993. Vantage Press. p. 111. ISBN 9780533120659.
  11. ^ Smith & Horton 1995, p. 1207.
  12. ^ a b c d "About The citizen. (Providence, R.I.) 1968-197?". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  13. ^ a b North, Simon Newton Dexter (1884). History and Present Condition of the Newspaper and Periodical Press of the United States: With a Catalogue of the Publications of the Census Year. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 333.
  14. ^ a b Howard, R. H.; Crocker, Henry E. (1881). "Ballou, Esq. John H.". A History of New England: Containing Historical and Descriptive Sketches of the Counties, Cities and Principal Towns of the Six New England States. Crocker & Company. p. 7.
  15. ^ a b C.A. Cooke and Co.'s United States Newspaper Directory Revised, Containing Names of All the Newspapers and Other Periodicals Published in America. Cook, C.A. & Co. 1881. p. 177.
  16. ^ a b c d e "About The Ebenezer grapevine. (Providence, R.I.) 1978-198?". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  17. ^ a b Afro-American Encyclopedia: Or, the Thoughts, Doings, and Sayings of the Race. Haley & Florida. 1895. p. 134.
  18. ^ The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer. Sampson & Murdock Company. 1896. p. 1858.
  19. ^ "McKay, Barney M. [McDougal]". Notable Kentucky African Americans Database. University of Kentucky. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  20. ^ a b c "About The north star. (Providence [R.I.]) 1977-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  21. ^ a b c "About Ocean state grapevine. (Providence, R.I.) 1986-198?". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  22. ^ a b Danky & Hady 1998, p. 438, ¶ 4564.
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