TEXAS’ Widest Circulated and Read Newspaper with a Black Perspective

African-AmericanNews &Issues’ 300,000 plus circulation necessitates an early deadline, therefore weekly newspapers with much less circulation are distributed five days before we hit the streets. Thus, the reading public already had a political correct, “whitewashed” version of the life and death of Ebony magazine’s John Henry Johnson. Even so, our readers, that truly understand an uncompromised editorial policy, wait patiently until Texas’ widest circulated and read newspaper with a Black perspective has been distributed (to over 5,000 sites in five major Texas cities and many surrounding hamlets), before coming to a conclusion about news and issues impacting Black America.
We Must Understand, it’s un-likely that descendents of slave’s perspectives will concur with descendents of slave owners. Consequently, our readers, nor our detractors weren’t surprised when we revealed Johnson’s darkside. Since we don’t confuse success with respect,wannabe mainstream Black people oftentimes dismiss our Black perspectives as racism, So, you can connect the historical dots and decide for yourself, whether or not, Johnson helped or hurt the “US.” Harry Haywood, a Black historian wrote the following, “The returned veterans and other young militants were all fighting back. And there was a lot to fight against. Racism reached a high tide in the summer of 1919. This was the ‘Red Summer,’ which involved 26 race riots across the country – ‘red’ for the blood that ran in the streets. Chicago was the bloodiest.” Now, if you know how to connect the historical dots, fast forward to post World War II and you’ll learn, “The riot in Detroit, Michigan in 1943 flared from the increased racial friction over the sharp rise in the Negro population, which led to competition with Whites on the job and housing markets. On June 20, rioting broke out on Belle Isle, a recreational area used by both races, but predominately by Negroes. “Fistfights escalated into a major conflict. The first wave of looting and bloodshed began in the Black ghetto ‘Paradise Valley’ and later spread to other sections of the city. White mobs attacked Blacks in the downtown area, and traveled into Black neighborhoods by car, where they were met by sniping. By the time federal troops arrived to halt the riot, 25 Blacks and nine whites were killed and property damaged exceeded $2 million.” - Excerpt from “Black Bolsheik.” History repeats aside, the nation’s leadership—that remembered the 1919 post war Chicago riots from their childhoods--knew that things were going to get worse, before they got better. Especially, since Black newspapers were fanning the flames of violent protest, therefore they needed a Black voice to speak for them. Enter John H. Johnson.
We Must Understand, it makes good reading to note that Johnson hocked his mom’s furntiure to start Ebony (nee Negro Digest), but White America only embraced him, because he was a “safe Negro.” He focused on positive news and even used White journalist’s articles. Thus, White advertisers and supporters, e.g., Eleanor Roosevelt, rewarded him. The Journal’s circulation jumped to over 8 million. In addition, he bought his own building and changed the Journal’s name to Ebony, a more distinguished to target “the Black elite.” But, corporate greed surfaced after Ebony introduced Black consumers. (FYI: “The Negro consumer market was an unknown quantity, practically nonexistent in the ‘marketing eyes’ of American business. “Few companies gave credence to or even believed that it was a clearly defined entity. The companies referred to what was then called the Negro Market as a special market and hired Black representatives as ‘market specialists.’ By 1963, the Negro Market was about 21 million and had a purchasing power estimated by the U. S. Department of Com-merce of $21.1 billion. No longer could large-scale businesses treat the Negro market with indifference. Special market programs began to be replaced by more thoughtful market programming. More and more companies began to bring their full marketing strategies. More companies, sensitive to Black consumer behavior, began to place advertisements in Black media.” -The Black Collegian Online.)
We Must Understand, corporate America actually paid to be attacked by the Black press. Then again, every corporation that advertised in Black newspapers became number one throughout America. White America again turned to Johnson, who had launched the weekly in 1945 and he accommodated them by going stronger nationwide. Black publishers, realizing that Jet was a real and present threat, formed the NNPA to counter it. Yet, Jet severely crippled small Black newspapers that had been thriving on corporate America’s advertising. And lack of that advertising has reduced over 5,000 Black newspapers to 200. In Essence, Johnson forced the tell it like it is, Black publications-- with angry anti-system editorials-- to change their focus. And 2005 corporate America is still sending the same message (via magazines that emulate Ebony and Jet), that they aren’t going to reward Black newspapers -- that persistently attack the system -- with advertising. But, alas, Roy Douglas Malonson didn’t get the message, because his butt kicking publication is still telling it like it is from a Black perspective.