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“We wish to plead our own cause....”
- By Staff Writer
- Published 02/1/2010
- Editorial and Opinion
- Unrated
“We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us.”
Thus was the mantra of Samuel Cornish and John B. Russworm, founders of Freedom’s Journal, the first Black owned and operated newspaper in the United States.
Freedom’s Journal, established in 1827, denounced slavery and lynching, and demanded equal rights for Blacks.
It also provided Blacks with regional, national and international news aimed at informing and entertaining readers, broadening their knowledge of the world. The goal was to improve the conditions of the Black man in America and to empower him.
African-American News&Issues has been proud to carry out that tradition for 15 years. And it is more than a tradition for us.
We were born out of a void. We realized that the more things change, the more they remain the same. Much like the mainstream publications of 1827, Blacks were still being under-represented and misrepresented, our issues disregarded and our needs neglected. We needed to have our own voice, and so the AAN&I was conceived.
We are 100 percent Black-owned and operated. We are not indebted to anyone and so we are able to speak with a free voice and we have done so over the years.
The question has come repeatedly, “Is the Black press still relevant?” The answer is a resounding, “Yes.”
If you doubt it, just ask Mychal Bell of Jena, La. When mainstream media misrepresented the so-called Jena Six, the Black Press told their story, drawing more than 20,000 men, women, boys and girls out to demand justice for their cause.
And we are still telling the stories of the Mychal Bells today. We are still championing our own issues, issues still being disregard by mainstream media. We are still announcing our victories and our losses. And we have only just begun.
The Black press is and was always intended to be the town crier, the village griot, chronicling Black history as it happens, telling the other side of the story and rousing people to action.
We have historically introduced new and diverse schools of thought, challenging and stretching the minds of our readers, presenting proof we are not a monolithic community.
We have also been the recorders of greatness within our race. For years, history books ignored our contributions, denied our brilliance and misrepresented our state in life. Often, media portrayed us as ignorant criminals destined for a life of generational poverty.
The Black press set the record straight, celebrating men and women among us from all walks of life who strove for excellence in their lives. We demonstrated week after week that these individuals were not the exceptions for our people, but the norm.
As AAN&I looks forward to another year of growth and opportunity, we are determined to reach out to our readers in Houston, in Dallas, in San Antonio, in Austin and in their surrounding areas. We are determined to be the voice of the people, bringing a message of empowerment and serving as a source of information that unifies Blacks in the state of Texas and throughout the world.
And we thank you, our readers for your continued support and invite you to join us as we continue our journey.
Thus was the mantra of Samuel Cornish and John B. Russworm, founders of Freedom’s Journal, the first Black owned and operated newspaper in the United States.
Freedom’s Journal, established in 1827, denounced slavery and lynching, and demanded equal rights for Blacks.
It also provided Blacks with regional, national and international news aimed at informing and entertaining readers, broadening their knowledge of the world. The goal was to improve the conditions of the Black man in America and to empower him.
African-American News&Issues has been proud to carry out that tradition for 15 years. And it is more than a tradition for us.
We were born out of a void. We realized that the more things change, the more they remain the same. Much like the mainstream publications of 1827, Blacks were still being under-represented and misrepresented, our issues disregarded and our needs neglected. We needed to have our own voice, and so the AAN&I was conceived.
We are 100 percent Black-owned and operated. We are not indebted to anyone and so we are able to speak with a free voice and we have done so over the years.
The question has come repeatedly, “Is the Black press still relevant?” The answer is a resounding, “Yes.”
If you doubt it, just ask Mychal Bell of Jena, La. When mainstream media misrepresented the so-called Jena Six, the Black Press told their story, drawing more than 20,000 men, women, boys and girls out to demand justice for their cause.
And we are still telling the stories of the Mychal Bells today. We are still championing our own issues, issues still being disregard by mainstream media. We are still announcing our victories and our losses. And we have only just begun.
The Black press is and was always intended to be the town crier, the village griot, chronicling Black history as it happens, telling the other side of the story and rousing people to action.
We have historically introduced new and diverse schools of thought, challenging and stretching the minds of our readers, presenting proof we are not a monolithic community.
We have also been the recorders of greatness within our race. For years, history books ignored our contributions, denied our brilliance and misrepresented our state in life. Often, media portrayed us as ignorant criminals destined for a life of generational poverty.
The Black press set the record straight, celebrating men and women among us from all walks of life who strove for excellence in their lives. We demonstrated week after week that these individuals were not the exceptions for our people, but the norm.
As AAN&I looks forward to another year of growth and opportunity, we are determined to reach out to our readers in Houston, in Dallas, in San Antonio, in Austin and in their surrounding areas. We are determined to be the voice of the people, bringing a message of empowerment and serving as a source of information that unifies Blacks in the state of Texas and throughout the world.
And we thank you, our readers for your continued support and invite you to join us as we continue our journey.