The ''Minnesota SpokesmanRecorder'' is an

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, English-language newspaper headquartered in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

and serves readers in the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

. Founded in 1934 by Cecil Earle Newman (who remained editor until his death in 1976), it is the oldest continuously operated black newspaper and longest-lived black-owned business in Minnesota. The current CEO of the paper is Newman's granddaughter, Tracey Williams-Dillard. The current editor is Mel Reeves.

History

The newspaper's first issue appeared on August 10, 1934 as the ''St. Paul Reporter''. Until 2000, it released weekly alongside ''The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder'', also published and edited by Newman (until his death in 1976). The newspaper office moved from St. Paul to 3744 Fourth Avenue South, Minneapolis, in 1958. Under Newman's leadership, the newspaper played a key role in the

civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

in Minnesota. After Newman's death in 1976, his wife Laura took over operation of the papers. In 2000, she merged them into a single title, the ''Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.'' In 2007, Newman's granddaughter Tracey Williams-Dillard became CEO of the paper. The late photographer, filmmaker, writer, and composer

Gordon Parks Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks (November 30, 1912 – March 7, 2006) was an American photographer, composer, author, poet, and film director, who became prominent in U.S. documentary photojournalism in the 1940s through 1970s—particu ...

was a photo-journalist for the newspaper. The newspaper building on Fourth Avenue was declared a historic landmark in 2015 for its association with the civil rights movement in Minnesota. The ''Minnesota SpokesmanRecorder'' is a member of the

National Newspaper Association The National Newspaper Association (NNA) is a Pensacola, FL based non-profit newspaper trade association founded in 1885. The organization has over 2,300 members, making it the largest newspaper trade association in the United States. The organiza ...

, Amalgamated Publishers, Inc., Metropolitan Economic Development Association, Minnesota Minority Media Coalition, and Minnesota Newspaper Association. In 2021, the newspaper's archives from 1934 to 1964 were publicly digitized in collaboration with the

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

and the

Minnesota Historical Society The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehoo ...

References

External links

Official website

1934-1964 archives of the ''Minneapolis Spokesman'', at the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub
{{coord, 44.934872, -93.270480, region:US-MN, display=title, name=W: Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Newspapers published in Minnesota Mass media in Minneapolis–Saint Paul Publications established in 1934 1934 establishments in Minnesota Newspapers published in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota African-American newspapers

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links