![Phila Tribune Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Phila_Tribune_Building.jpg)
''The Philadelphia Tribune'' is the oldest continuously published
African-American newspaper
African-American newspapers (also known as the Black press or Black newspapers) are newspaper, news publications in the United States serving African-American communities. Samuel Cornish and John Brown Russwurm started the first African-Americ ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The paper began in 1884 when
Christopher J. Perry published its first copy. Throughout its history, ''The Philadelphia Tribune'' has been committed to the social, political, and economic advancement of
African Americans
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
in the Greater Philadelphia region. During a time when African Americans struggled for equality, the ''Tribune'' acted as the "Voice of the black community" for Philadelphia. Historian V. P. Franklin asserted that the ''Tribune'' "was (and is) an important Afro-American cultural institution that embodied the predominant cultural values of upper-, middle-, and lower-class Black Philadelphians."
In the early 21st century, the paper is headquartered at 520 South 16th Street,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. It publishes on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. ''The Philadelphia Tribune'' also publishes the ''Tribune Magazine'', ''Entertainment Now'', ''
Sojourner
A sojourner is a person who resides temporarily in a place.
Sojourner may also refer to:
* Sojourner Truth (1797–1883), abolitionist and women's rights activist
* Albert Sojourner (1872–1951), member of the Mississippi House of Representative ...
'', ''The Learning Key'', and ''The Sunday Tribune''. The ''Tribune'' serves the Philadelphia–Camden Metro Area, as well as
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
.
The ''Tribune'' has received the
John B. Russwurm award as "Best Newspaper" in the country seven times since 1995.
Christopher James Perry
Christopher J. Perry was born on September 11, 1854
in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
to
free people of color
In the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, free people of color (French: ''gens de couleur libres''; Spanish: ''gente de color libre'') were primarily people of mixed African, European, and Native American descent who were not ...
. Perry attended school in Baltimore, gaining a positive reputation in his local community through his public speeches.
After he graduated from high school in 1873, the ambitious Perry migrated to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, feeling there were more opportunities in the northern city, given the waning days of
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
in the
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
.
Once in Philadelphia, Perry began writing for local newspapers such as the ''Northern Daily'' and the ''Sunday Mercury''. He wrote a column titled, "Flashes and Sparks" for the ''Mercury,'' which provided information to the growing
black community in Philadelphia. Other migrants from the South were also settling there. Through his regular columns, Perry gained positive attention from the educated members of the African-American community in Philadelphia. However, in 1884, the ''Sunday Mercury'' went bankrupt and Perry was without a job.
Later that year on November 27, 1884, Perry began his own newspaper entitled ''The Philadelphia Tribune''. He ran the operation as the owner, reporter, editor, copier, and advertiser. Perry worked on the ''Tribune'' until his death in 1921. Throughout his career with the ''Tribune,'' Perry promoted the advancement of African Americans in society and covered issues affecting their daily lives.
History
Beginnings
When the ''Tribune'' began publication in 1884, it was a weekly, one-page paper, publishing from 725 Sansom Street. Despite the challenges black businesses faced during the late nineteenth century, especially in journalism, the ''Tribune'' enjoyed unusual success during its early years, and it averaged 3,225 copies weekly by 1887. In 1891, Perry and the ''Tribune'' received national recognition when
Garland Penn, a prominent advocate for African-American journalism, praised the Philadelphia newspaper in his book ''The Afro-American Press and Its Editors''. In his book, Penn complimented the ''Tribune's'' consistency and reliability. However, the ''Tribune'' was not the only African-American newspaper circulating in Philadelphia at the time. The ''Tribune'' competed against other African-American newspapers during its first few decades, such as ''The Philadelphia Standard Echo'', ''The Philadelphia Sentinel'', ''The Philadelphia Defender'', and ''The Courant''. But by 1900, the ''Tribune'' became the leading voice of Black Philadelphia, and
W. E. B. Du Bois referred to it as "the chief news-sheet" in the city.
Post-Reconstruction migration
After
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
ended in 1877, many African Americans from the South migrated to northern cities in search of a better life. The city went through a fundamental transformation as African Americans flooded the city looking for jobs.
Racial tensions divided Philadelphia as the new black migrants crowded neighborhoods and competed with Whites for jobs, including Irish immigrants and, increasingly, other European immigrants. During the migration, Perry and ''The Tribune'' served as an outlet to educate and inform black Philadelphians, and it helped the new migrants adjust to their new city. It covered job openings, civic affairs, social events, and church news.
Rather than just report the news, the ''Tribune'' committed itself to helping to improve the
standard of living
Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available, generally applied to a society or location, rather than to an individual. Standard of living is relevant because it is considered to contribute to an individual's quality ...
for African Americans in Philadelphia. The ''Tribune'' openly supported and advertised civic groups such as The Armstrong Association, Negro Migration Committee, and the
National Urban League
The National Urban League, formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan historic civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of economic and social justice for African Am ...
of Philadelphia in order to combat the increasing discrimination found within the city.
Great Migration
![GreatMigration1910to1970-UrbanPopulation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/GreatMigration1910to1970-UrbanPopulation.png)
Beginning about 1910, a new wave of black migrants moved to Philadelphia, as part of the
Great Migration from the rural South to northern and midwestern industrial cities. The expansion of railroads drew many new workers. After
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
began, industries began to recruit blacks as whites were drafted into the military. The city was crowded and new migrants moved into white neighborhoods, resulting in violent reactions in working-class areas. White mobs formed to intimidate black families. In 1914, a white mob attacked and destroyed the new home of a black woman, but the Philadelphia Department of Public Safety failed to investigate the crime and no white newspapers reported the incident. The managing editor of the ''Tribune'',
G. Grant Williams, reported the case and encouraged African Americans to join the police force and become part of shaping the city.
The newspaper worked with the Colored Protective Association to help defend African Americans who were unfairly arrested. Williams also wrote articles on how to protect community women from racial violence, as well as giving advice on morals and values. As a way to create a cultural identity and unity among blacks in the city, the ''Tribune'' publicized free lectures and invited respected church leaders to write columns for the paper.
As white men left the city for war assignments in Europe, industrial jobs opened up for African Americans and the ''Tribune'' covered the job market. However, after the war ended in 1918, white veterans returned and competed fiercely with African Americans for jobs in the post-war recession. Racial riots broke out in the
summer of 1919 in many industrial cities. Since White men appeared more qualified for work, the ''Tribune'' spent the 1920s encouraging African Americans to receive an education or learn a trade at an industrial school.
By 1920, the ''Tribune'' was distributing 20,000 newspapers weekly and had earned a reputation as one of the top African-American newspapers in the country.
In 1921, its founder and chief editor Christopher Perry died; he was succeeded by G. Grant Williams. Williams died in June 1922.
Eugene Washington Rhodes became the managing editor, serving for more than two decades until 1944. Under Rhodes, the ''Tribune'' went through aesthetic enhancements as the print size and column size grew larger. Despite an increase in cost, the ''Tribune'' remained a hot seller.
The Great Depression and New Deal
In April 1929, months before the
Stock Market Crash
A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock
In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especia ...
, Philadelphia's black unemployment rate was 45 percent higher than white unemployment. During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, African Americans in Philadelphia and throughout the country suffered higher levels of unemployment due to their lack of skills and qualifications. Rhodes and the ''Tribune'' wrote articles to help African Americans improve their standard of living during the difficult times. The newspaper provided information on relief help by advertising black social organizations, churches, and schools. Also, by 1930, ''Tribune'' and the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...
(NAACP) of Philadelphia would report unfair employment practices by local businesses, and the negative publicity would pressure the businesses into reassessing their hiring process.
When
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
introduced his
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
program in 1933, the ''Tribune'' covered the new federal relief agencies and exposed the discrimination some of the programs practiced against African Americans. Although Roosevelt and the New Deal aimed to assist struggling Americans, the ''Tribune'' faced a political dilemma. Historically, the ''Tribune'' had supported the
Republican Party because of its ties to
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
and the
Abolitionists
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The Britis ...
. In order to keep Republicans in control of local and State politics, Rhodes and the ''Tribune'' remained loyal to the party of Lincoln and criticized Roosevelt and his
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
. The confusing message the ''Tribune'' offered allowed other African-American newspapers in Philadelphia to gain readers. In 1935, the ''Philadelphia Independent'' openly supported Roosevelt and the Democrats, and surpassed the ''Tribune'' as the most popular African-American newspaper in Philadelphia with 30,000 weekly subscribers. In the mid-1930s, Rhodes introduced new elements to the paper as a way to gain more readers. He added an editorial that showcased African-American achievements and also a comic strip to the weekly paper. However, some argue Rhodes used these new elements to promote middle-class values that reflected the principles of the Republican Party.
Civil rights
During the 1920s, after
John Asbury
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
and
Andrew Stevens
Herman Andrew Stevens (born June 10, 1955) is an American executive, film producer, director and actor.
Early life
Stevens was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the only child of actress Stella Stevens and her former husband Noble Herman Stephens.
Ca ...
became the first African Americans elected to the
Pennsylvania State legislature
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania ...
, the ''Tribune'' increased its political activity in the city. In 1921, when the State legislature introduced an Equal Rights Bill, the ''Tribune'' reported which representatives opposed it. The paper remained a strong advocate for the bill until 1935, when Pennsylvania passed a state Equal Rights Bill.
Also during the 1920s and 1930s, the ''Tribune'' played a monumental role in officially ending segregation in Philadelphia schools. Upset over the Philadelphia School Board's lack of action to end segregation, the ''Tribune'' organized the Defense Fund Committee in 1926. It collected funds to support a court challenge to the school board. By 1932, the ''Tribune'' succeeded in gaining appointment of African Americans to the School Board, which eventually ended segregation in Philadelphia's public schools.
Thanks to the ''Tribune''s coverage of and coalition with the NAACP, Philadelphia captured national attention in 1965 when demonstrators protested to end segregation at
Girard College
Girard College is an independent college preparatory five-day boarding school located on a 43-acre campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school was founded and permanently endowed from the shipping and banking fortune of Stephen Girard upon h ...
. It had been established as a high school to educate poor boys in the city but historically had admitted only whites.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
visited Philadelphia, strengthening the city and the ''Tribune''s connection to the national
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 ...
.
See also
*
List of newspapers in Pennsylvania
References
Sources
*
*
*
External links
*
* West Chester University,
Goin' North: Stories from the First Great Migration to Philadelphia'' 2014.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Philadelphia Tribune, The
1884 establishments in Pennsylvania
African-American history in Philadelphia
African-American newspapers
Black-owned companies of the United States
Daily newspapers published in Pennsylvania
Newspapers published in Philadelphia
Newspapers established in 1884