African American & Ethnic Newspapers & Magazines
- African American Communities This link opens in a new windowThis database includes The Messenger, 1925-1928 (for earlier issues request microfilm) and The Opportunity, 1940-1947.
The Messenger was founded in 1917 in NYC, by Labor activist A. Philip Randolph and economist Chandler Owen to bring the cause of socialism to the black Americans. It eventually evolved into a literary magazine. Ceased publication in 1928 - African American Newspapers (1827-1998) This link opens in a new windowFrom Readex/Archive of Americana
Provides access to approximately 270 U.S. newspapers, from more than 35 states, chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience - African American Newspapers: The 19th Century (Accessible Archives) This link opens in a new windowNewspapers include:
Freedom's Journal (1827–1829), The Colored American (1837–1841), The North Star (1847–1851), The National Era (1847–1860), Provincial Freeman (1854–1857), The Christian Recorder (1861–1902), Frederick Douglass' Paper (1851–1855; 1859–1863), and the Weekly Advocate (1837–1837) - American Indian Newspapers This link opens in a new windowAmerican Indian Newspapers aims to present a diverse and robust collection of print journalism from Indigenous peoples of the US and Canada over more than 9,000 individual editions from 1828-2016. The resource is provided by Adam Matthew.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988) This link opens in a new windowThe most widely circulated black newspaper on the Atlantic coast.
- Bay State Banner (1965-present)Founded in 1965 in Boston, MA.
- The Black PantherLogin required
Published between 1967-1980. USC has digital access to issues from 1969-1973. Select the different titles to view access by various years. - The Black Panther NewspaperAvailable online, this is the full run of The Black Panther, the official newspaper of the Black Panther Party.
- Black Studies Center This link opens in a new windowHistorical newspapers include: the Chicago Defender (1910-1975), Daily Defender (1956-1975), Atlanta Daily World (1931-2003), Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005), New York Amsterdam News (1922-1994), and Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002)
- Black World/Negro DigestGoogle Books has digitized issues between: 11/1961-4/1976
USC has print copies of Negro Digest from 1943-1944, and Black World from 1973-1976.
Founded in 1942, this was the first successful black-owned and published general interest magazine in America. It was also the first publication of Johnson Publishing Company, which went on to publish Jet and Ebony magazines. Negro Digest was modeled after Reader's Digest magazine. It temporarily ceased publication for 10 years between 1951-1961, and in 1970 it's name was changed to Black World; its last issue was published in April 1976. - California EagleSpotty coverage.
The West's oldest African-American newspaper, published from 1879-1964.
John James Neimore established it in Los Angeles as The California Owl in 1879, to ease black settlers' transition to the West. The paper evolved into one of the leading papers of the day while under the control of Charlotta A. Bass and her husband, Joe Bass. Charlotta Bass assumed control of The Owl following the death of Neimore in 1912, and renamed it The California Eagle. - Chicago Defender (1910-1975)A leading African-American newspaper, with more than two-thirds of its readership outside Chicago.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Cleveland Call and Post (1934-1991) This link opens in a new windowStarted in 1916 by Cleveland inventor Garrett Morgan and merged with the Cleveland Post in 1929 to become the Call & Post Newspaper.
- The Citizen Council Digital ArchiveA pro-segregationist/white supremacist newspaper published in Mississippi between October 1955 and September 1961. It was intended to spread a pro-segregationist message throughout the southern states.
- The Crisis: A Record of the Darker RacesDates available: 1910-1922 (online PDFs)
USC has most issues published between 1910-1996, in print @ the Grand Library.
Also available on Google Books: 4/1911-2011
Founded by W.E.B. Du Bois in 1910 as the official publication of the NAACP. From 1997 to 2003, the title change to "The New Crisis: The Magazine of Opportunities and Ideas," but the title has since reverted back to The Crisis. Du Bois edited the Crisis until 1934. - Ebony Magazine ArchiveDates available: 1959-2008
John H. Johnson founded Ebony magazine in 1945. He wanted to create a monthly magazine that told about black life and achievements in words and photographs, similar to Life magazine. Ebony has the largest circulation among African American publications. Google Books has most print issues from 1959-2008.
- Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new windowDates covered: 1959-present
A full-text collection of more than 200 newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. Provides a broad diversity of perspectives and viewpoints -- the other sides of the stories.
- FreedomwaysAvailable via JSTOR from Black American, part of Independent Voices
- FreedomwaysUSC has print copies of most issues: 1961-1985.
Published between 1961-1985, this magazine emerged from a social movement and organization, the Southern Negro Youth Congress (SNYC), and a political publication, Freedom. SNYC was an important youth-led civil rights organization that emerged during the late 1930s and lasted until the end of the 1940s. Founded by Paul Robeson in the 1950s, Freedom was a political newspaper that openly challenged racism, imperialism, and colonialism and fought for international peace in the context of the growing repression of the Cold War and McCarthyism.
- Hispanic American Newspapers (1808-1980) This link opens in a new windowThis Readex database contains Hispanic American newspapers from 22 U.S. states, searchable by dates and "eras", article types, languages, place of publication, and newspaper title
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Sentinel This link opens in a new windowDates covered: 1934-2005
Full-text access to the most important African-American newspaper published in Los Angeles.
- Los Angeles Tribune (1943-1960)Login required
Founded In 1941 by Almena Lomax, a civil rights activist. - Jet Magazine Archive1951-2008
Jet was created in 1951 by John H. Johnson, modeled after small, “pocket magazines.” . Jet was intended to be a news digest for people who had neither the time nor the desire to read extensively on current issues, but who still wanted to be well informed. - The Liberator 1831-1865Login required
A prominent antislavery newspaper published by the abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison in Boston, Massachusetts. - Muhammad SpeaksAvailable via JSTOR from Black American, part of Independent Voices
- Muhammad Speaks (1960-1972)Login required
Published 1960-present, USC Libraries owns 1960-1971 on microfilm.
It was renamed Bilalian News in 1975; in 1981 it became World Muslim News, the current title is Muslim Journal, of which, USC Libraries has these issues, 2000-present) - The New York Age, The New York Freeman, & The New York Globe (1883-1992)Login required
Available from Gale's historical newspaper database. All titles are listed under New York Age. This was one of the leading African-American newspapers in New York City. Thep poet, T. Thomas Fortune served as editor for two decades and is credited with having popularized the term "Afro-American."
Before being called The New York Age, it was The New York Globe (1880-1884), and the New York Freeman (1884-1887).
We have 1933-1960 on microfilm
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Norfolk Journal and Guide (1921-2003) This link opens in a new windowAs a southern black newspaper, the Norfolk Journal and Guide did not have the same freedoms as northern black newspapers and thus did not aggressively or openly denounce social and racial injustices.
- Richmond Afro-American and Richmond Planet (1885-1910)Login required
Founded by 13 former Richmond slaves. By 1904 it reached a weekly circulation of 4,200.
1900-1910 available through LOC's Chronicling America - http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov - OpportunityUSC has all issues published between 1923-1949 on microfilm; 1940-1947 are available in the database, African American Community.
The official publication of the National Urban League, it was founded in 1923 and was published until 1949. Edited by Charles Spurgeon Johnson, it was an important forum for young black writers and artists, many of whom became famous during the Harlem Renaissance.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Philadelphia Tribune This link opens in a new windowThe oldest continuously published black newspaper in the U.S.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002) This link opens in a new windowWas one of the most nationally circulated Black newspapers, the Courier reached its peak in the 1930s. A conservative voice in the African-American community, the Courier challenged the misrepresentation of African-Americans in the national media and advocated social reforms to advance the cause of civil rights.
- Listings of African American Historical Newspapers OnlineAn extensive list of freely available online newspapers created by Elizabeth Clarke of Marist College in NY.
- The Voice of the Negro (1904-1907)An illustrated monthly magazine published from 1904-1907 in Atlanta, GA. Limited issues available through HathiTrust.
For additional issues, request to Integrated Document Delivery (IDD). - Washington Bee (1882-1922)Login required
Founded in 1882; edited by African-American lawyer/journalist William Calvin Chase.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Atlanta Daily World This link opens in a new windowAtlanta Daily World offers full page and article images with searchable full text.
Finding Newspapers in Databases
One way to search for newspapers is to enter the term newspapers in the main Search box on the homepage and then select Databases-- this will provide a list of USC databases that index newspapers, including some with full text content.
Here are several databases that index historical newspapers:
America's Historical Newspapers Includes over 900 newspapers published between 1690-1998
19th Century Masterfile The largest resource for pre-1920 studies, with over 6 million citations online. Search relevant printed index to material from 1800-1899, including for newspapers and periodicals
C19: The Nineteenth Century Index Draws on indexes such as the Nineteenth Century Short Title Catalogue, The Wellesley Index, Poole's Index and Periodicals Index Online to create integrated bibliographic coverage of over 1.4 million books and official publications, 64,891 archival collections and 15.6 million articles from over 2,500 journals, magazines and newspapers
California Newspaper Project An indispensable finding aid, the California Newspaper Project is an 18-year effort to identify, describe and preserve California newspapers. Close to 9,000 California newspapers were inventoried in over 14,000 repositories throughout the state, 1.5 million pages of California newspapers were preserved and made available on microfilm, and 100,000 rolls of negative microfilm rolls are being processed for permanent storage at the UC Regional Library Storage Facilities
Chronicling America: America's Historic Newspapers This Library of Congress site allows you to search and view newspaper pages from 1880-1922 and find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers and Magazines This link opens in a new windowThis database provides access to 45 major national and international newspapers (1812-2012) including 9 African American Newspapers and 4 Jewish American newspapers. ProQuest's American Periodicals database is also included, providing access to 1,800+ popular magazines published between 1740-1940.
Finding Newspapers - Print Indexes
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African-American Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography (1998) Covers publications from 1827 to 1990s
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Antislavery Newspapers and Periodicals, 5 vols.,
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Newspaper Indexes: A Location and Subject Guide, 3 vols. - Lists newspapers by county and state, with date ranges and depository designation
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Newspapers: A Reference Guide, - This finding aid has information on newspaper indexes