List of African American newspapers in Mississippi

A surviving issue of the Vicksburg Golden Rule, from 1899.

This is a list of African American newspapers that have been published in Mississippi. It includes both current and historical newspapers.

The first such newspaper in Mississippi was the Colored Citizen in 1867.[1] More than 70 African American newspapers were founded across Mississippi between 1867 and 1899, in at least 37 different towns.[2] From 1900 to 1980, at least 116 more such newspapers were founded in the state, but increasingly concentrated in the larger cities.[3] The Jackson Advocate is the oldest African American newspaper still in publication. The Mississippi Link was one of the first African American publications to be widely available on the internet.[4]

Several African American newspapers are currently published in Mississippi. They are highlighted in green in the list below.

Newspapers

City	Title	Beginning	End	Frequency	Call numbers	Remarks
Brandon	The Free State	1898[5]	1904[5]		LCCN sn84025823, 2011254379 OCLC 753811338, 10347200, 2747535	Edited by E.H. Johnson.[5]
Brookhaven	People's Relief	1900s	1910			Edited by Eugene N. Bryant, who was driven from Brookhaven by white mob in retaliation for his political positions.[6]
Canton	Canton Citizen	1869[2]	?
Cary	The Weekly Negro World	1890s[7]	1900s[7]		LCCN 2018270512 OCLC 1059131230	Free online archive Attested through at least 1902.[7]
Clarksdale	Tutwiler Whirlwind	1979[8]				Edited in 1979 by J.D. Rayford.[8]
Columbia	Brotherhood	1976[8]
Fayette	Jefferson County Chronicle	1986[9]	1992[9]		LCCN sn87008338 OCLC 15492871 ISSN 0893-3693
Greenville	The Delta Farmer’s Digest	1939[10]	?[10]		LCCN sn87065121 OCLC 15155327	Published by H.H. Humes Publishing Co.[10] Attested through at least 1948.[11]
Greenville	The Delta Leader[12] Greenville Leader[13]	1929[14] or 1930[12]	?[12]		LCCN sn87065122, sn87065125 OCLC 11955778, 15154937, 15155009	Free online archive Published by H.H. Humes Publishing Co.[12] Attested through at least 1943.[12]
Greenville	The Delta Lighthouse Delta Light House[16]	1896[15]	1930[15] or 1920s[16]		LCCN sn87065123 OCLC 15153806	Published by E.M. Weddington.[15] Edited by J.C. Chapple from 1896 until his death in 1919.[16]
Greenville	Mississippi Freelance	1969[17]	1970[17]		LCCN sn88067142 OCLC 10393606, 9884940	Different color of paper used for each issue.[18]
Greenville	Mississippi News	1974[8]				Founded by Katie M. Johnson and David Johnson.[8]
Greenville	Mississippiana	1900s[19]	1900s[19]		LCCN sn87065127 OCLC 15155236	Attested from at least 1942.[19]
Greenville	Negro Leader	1962[8]				Founded by Albert Jenkins.[8]
Greenville	The Voice Of SHIMPH	1975[20]	1900s[20]		LCCN sn88067156 OCLC 18116579
Greenville	The Zion Harp	1896[21]	1910[21]		LCCN sn87065129 OCLC 15160059
Greenwood	The Baptist Observer	1960?[22]	?[22]			Published by General Missionary Baptist Convention of Mississippi. Edited by W.L. Terrell.[22]
Hattiesburg	Hub City Community News	1984[24]	1987[23]		LCCN sn88067042 OCLC 17453254	Published by Eddie Taylor.[24]
Hattiesburg	The Union Messenger	1934[25]	1900s[25]		LCCN sn88067122 OCLC 17779530
Holly Springs	Mississippi Oddfellow	1908?[26]	?[26]			Edited by E.H. McKissak.[26] Attested through at least 1915.[26]
Jackson	Jackson Advocate	1938[27] or 1939[28]	current		LCCN sn79000083, sn79083 OCLC 11991797, 2173975, 4701538 ISSN 0047-1704	Official site Free online archive
Jackson	Colored Citizen	1870[2]	?			Founded by James J. Spelman and James D. Lynch.[2]
Jackson	The Drummer[29] The Drummer: Mississippi’s Black Community Newspaper[30]	1971[30]	1900s[29]		LCCN sn84025913 OCLC 10675658
Jackson	Eagle Eye The Eagle Eye	1944[32]	1967?[31]		OCLC 10379234	Published by Arrington High.[32] "The one radical journal of resistance" out of the five newspapers published in Mississippi in the 1950s.[33]
Jackson	The Mississippi Enterprise	1938[34] or 1939[14]	?[34]		LCCN sn87065258 OCLC 15339733, 17654996	Published by Willie J. Miller.[35] Free online archive
Jackson	Mississippi Free Press	1961[37]	1964[36]		LCCN 2013254324, sn87065222 OCLC 15308525, 17268835, 2557042, 664611325 ISSN 2642-4673, 2642-5173	Played an important role in the civil rights movement as a newspaper willing to speak out against the power structure.[38]
Jackson	Highlighter	1975[8]				Founded by Gene L. Mosley.[8]
Jackson	Mississippi Independent	1967[39]	1967?[39]		OCLC 11620462
Jackson	The Mississippi Link	1993[40]	current			Official site Published by L. Socrates Garrett.[40]
Jackson	The Messenger	1800s[41]	?[41]		LCCN sn87065721 OCLC 16852687
Jackson	Metropolitan Observer	1976				Founded by Lee Dilworth.[8]
Jackson	The New African	1900s[42]	?[42]		LCCN sn97047980 OCLC 36950698	Founded by Imari Obadele.[8] Attested in 1980s.[8]
Jackson	People's Journal People's Advisor People's Defender	1877[43]	1882?[16]
Jackson	Mississippi Weekly	1930s[44]	1900s[44]		LCCN 2013254325 OCLC 664611326
Jackson	Jackson Field Hand	1870?[16]
Jackson	Weekly Communicator	1975[8]				Founded by James H. Meredith and Louis Armstrong.[8]
Laurel	Voice Of The People	1900s[45]	1900s[45]		LCCN sn89065000 OCLC 19295684	Free online archive
McComb	Freedom's Journal	1964[46]				Edited by Barbara JoAnn Lea.[46]
Meridian	The Echo	1923[47]	1931[47]		LCCN sn88067045 OCLC 17536875
Meridian	The Echo	1942[47]	1960[47]		LCCN sn88067047 OCLC 17538016	Free online archive
Meridian	Mississippi Memo Digest	1968[48]	?		LCCN sn97061107 OCLC 8100507	Attested through at least 1979.[48] Editor: Robert E. Williams.[48]
Meridian	The Weekly Echo Daily Echo	1931[49]	1942[49]		LCCN sn87065408 OCLC 15716025	Free online archive
Moss Point	Pas-Point Journal	1976[8]				Founded by Bernard Barnes and E.V. Cole.[8]
Mound Bayou	Demonstrator	1900[16]	1925?[16]			Edited by Aurelius P. Hood.[50] Circulation of 4,000 in 1912.[16]
Mound Bayou	Mound Bayou News-Digest	1900s[51]	1900s[51]		LCCN 2013254327, sn87065748 OCLC 17003814, 664611328 ISSN 2642-7737	Attested from at least 1948–1950.[51]
Mound Bayou	The Mound Bayou Sentinel	1952[52]	?[52]		LCCN sn87065423 OCLC 15738763
Mound Bayou	The Southern Advocate	1933[53]	?[53]		LCCN sn87082832 OCLC 15738677	Free online archive Attested through at least 1940.[53]
Mound Bayou	The Taborian Star	1923?[54]	?[54]
Mound Bayou	The Voice	1900s[55]	1900s[55]		LCCN sn89065010 OCLC 17281773	Attested from at least 1970–1971.[55]
Natchez	Bluff City Bulletin	1961[56]	1966[56]			Published by Savoy Publishing Company. Edited by Theodore C. Johnson.[56]
Natchez	Bluff City Post	1978[57]	current		LCCN sn87065425 OCLC 15748285	Founded by William H. Terrell and Theo C. Johnson.[8]
Natchez	Natchez News Leader	1971[58]	1983?[58]		LCCN sn84025910 OCLC 10666378	Founded by William H. Terrell and Theo C. Johnson.[8]
Natchez	Weekly Reporter	1909	1930s?[16]			Owned and edited by Joseph A. Young, Jr.[59] Circulation may have reached 1500.[16]
New Albany	The Community Citizen	1900s[60]	1900s[60]		LCCN sn88067103 OCLC 17388230	Free online archive Attested from at least 1955–1959.
Senatobia	The Baptist Herald	1888[61]	1800s[61]		LCCN sn87065602 OCLC 16396263	Attested through at least 1891.[61]
Vicksburg	Vicksburg Citizens' Appeal	1964[62]	1967[62]		LCCN sn84025911, sn94081987 OCLC 32351445, 10666472, 17271247, 8776650
Vicksburg	Colored Citizen	1867[2]	?			Founded by Vicksburg civic leader Henry Mason.[2]
Vicksburg	The Golden Rule	1898[63]	1902[63]		LCCN 2012254012, 2018218508, sn84025825 OCLC 1018455604, 10354367, 2747444, 770730896 ISSN 2576-4667, 2576-4675	Free online archive
Vicksburg	The Light	1891[64]	1900s[64]		LCCN 2013254301, sn84025824 OCLC 10347312, 843951336
Vicksburg	The New Times	1993?[65]	?		OCLC 37378103
Yazoo City	Afro-American Courier	1926[67]	1957?[66]		LCCN sn88067171 OCLC 18201922	Free online archive
Yazoo City	Century Voice[68] The Century Voice[69]	1942[68]	?[68]		LCCN sn88067172 OCLC 18201974	Edited by T.J. Huddleston, Jr.[68] Free online archive

See also

• List of African American newspapers and media outlets
• List of African American newspapers in Alabama
• List of African American newspapers in Arkansas
• List of African American newspapers in Louisiana
• List of African American newspapers in Tennessee
• List of newspapers in Mississippi

Works cited

• Danky, James Philip; Hady, Maureen E., eds. (1998). African-American newspapers and periodicals : a national bibliography. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674007888.
• McMillen, Neil R. (1990). Dark Journey: Black Mississippians in the Age of Jim Crow. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252061561.
• Pride, Armistead Scott; Wilson, Clint C. (1997). A History of the Black Press. Howard University Press. ISBN 9780882581927.
• Smith, Jessie Carney (2012). Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 9781578593699.
• Thompson, Julius Eric (1983). "Mississippi". In Suggs, Henry Lewis (ed.). The Black Press in the South, 1865–1979. ISBN 9780313222443.
• Thompson, Julius Eric (2001). Black Life in Mississippi: Essays on Political, Social and Cultural Studies in a Deep South State. ISBN 9780761819226.
• Thompson, Julius Eric (2015). Lynchings in Mississippi (reprint ed.). ISBN 9780786464418.

References

1. Smith 2012, p. 409.
2. Thompson 1983, p. 178.
3. Thompson 1983, p. 181.
4. "Top Black Newspapers | African American Newspapers".
5. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 237, ¶ 2487.
6. McMillen 1990, p. 176.
7. "About The weekly Negro world. [volume] (Cary, Miss.) 189?-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
8. Thompson 2001, p. 52.
9. "About Jefferson County chronicle. (Fayette, Miss.) 1986-1992". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
10. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 191, ¶ 1983.
11. "About The Delta farmer's digest. (Greenville, Miss.) 19??-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
12. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 191, ¶ 1985.
13. "About Greenville leader. (Greenville, Miss.) 1930-1939". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
14. Thompson 1983, p. 182.
15. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 191, ¶ 1986.
16. McMillen 1990, p. 173.
17. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 371, ¶ 3865.
18. "About Mississippi freelance. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1969-1970". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
19. "About Mississippiana. (Greenville, Miss.) 19??-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
20. "About The Voice of SHIMPH. (Greenville, Miss.) 1975-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
21. "About The Zion harp. (Greenville, Miss.) 1896-1910". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
22. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 60, ¶ 615.
23. "About Hub city community news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1984-1987". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
24. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 285, ¶ 2993.
25. "About The Union messenger. (Hattiesburg, Forrest County, Miss.) 1934-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
26. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 371, ¶ 3870.
27. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 308, ¶ 3241.
28. "About Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
29. "About The drummer. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1971-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
30. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 200, ¶ 2080.
31. Becca Walton (2018-04-19). "Jackson Eagle Eye". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
32. Thompson 1983, p. 205.
33. Thompson 1983, p. 188.
34. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 370, ¶ 3861.
35. "About The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
36. "About Mississippi free press. [online resource] (Jackson, Miss.) 1961-1964". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
37. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 370, ¶ 3862.
38. Thompson 1983, p. 193.
39. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 371, ¶ 3866.
40. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 371, ¶ 3867.
41. "About The Messenger. (Jackson, Miss.) 18??-1???". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
42. "About The new African. [microfilm reel] (Jackson, Miss.) 19??-????". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
43. Thompson 2015, p. 13.
44. "About Mississippi weekly. [online resource] (Jackson, Miss.) 193?-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
45. "About Voice of the people. (Laurel, Miss.) 19??-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
46. Thompson 1983, p. 192.
47. "About The Echo. (Meridian, Miss.) 1923-1931". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
48. "About Mississippi memo digest. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1968-current". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
49. "About The Weekly echo. (Meridian, Miss.) 1931-1942". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
50. McMillen 1990, p. 175.
51. "About Mound Bayou news-digest. [online resource] (Mound Bayou, Miss.) 19??-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
52. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 377, ¶ 3934.
53. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 525, ¶ 5488.
54. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 551, ¶ 5754.
55. "About The Voice. (Mound Bayou, Miss.) 19??-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
56. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 110, ¶ 1144.
57. "About Bluff City post. (Natchez, Miss.) 1978-current". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
58. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 386, ¶ 4035.
59. Mather, Frank Lincoln (1915). Who's who of the Colored Race: A General Biographical Dictionary of Men and Women of African Descent, Volume 1. p. 295. ISBN 9780598610218.
60. "About The Community citizen. (New Albany, Miss.) 19??-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
61. "About The Baptist herald. (Senatobia, Miss.) 1888-18??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
62. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 589, ¶ 6165.
63. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 251, ¶ 2631.
64. "About The light. [online resource] (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1891-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
65. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 413, ¶ 4299.
66. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 24, ¶ 241.
67. "About Afro-American courier. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1926-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
68. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 142, ¶ 1476.
69. "About The Century voice. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 194?-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-02-05.