Africo-American Presbyterian
American weekly newspaper (1879–1939)
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Africo-American Presbyterian was an American religious weekly newspaper for African American Presbyterians. It was published from 1879 until 1938 by the Africo-American Presbyterian Publishing Company in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its founding editor and publisher was Daniel J. Sanders, a Black Presbyterian minister. The newspaper was not an official publication by the Presbyterian Church; however, it did provide a needed Black perspective and covered many social issues of the era.
| Type | Weekly |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Africo-American Presbyterian Publishing Company |
| Editor | Daniel J. Sanders |
| Founded | January 1, 1879 |
| Ceased publication | September 29, 1938 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Country | United States |
| ISSN | 2835-8759 |
| OCLC number | 707512087 |
History
Africo-American Presbyterian was first published on January 1, 1879.[1][2] Its founding editor, publisher, and owner was Daniel J. Sanders, a Black Presbyterian minister and educator in Wilmington, North Carolina.[3][4] Sanders was the editor of the newspaper until his death in 1909.[2]
Africo-American Presbyterian was initially published twice month and consisted of twenty broad columns.[4] By 1892, Africo-American Presbyterian was published weekly by the Africo-American Presbyterian Publishing Company out of Charlotte, North Carolina.[1][5] The publication moved to Charlotte when Sanders became president of Biddle University.[2]
Africo-American Presbyterian was not an official publication by the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA); however, its content focused on the needs and interests of Black Presbyterians.[6] The church encouraged all Black Presbyterians to subscribe.[7] Africo-American Presbyterian tended to have a "conservative theological stance" and supported loyalty to the standards defined by the Presbyterian Church.[6] Editorially, the newspaper supported missions in Africa, while criticizing the PCUSA for failing to assign a Black missionary to Africa.[6][a]
The Africo-American Presbyterian published articles that highlighted racial injustice and violence.[6] In April 1925, Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) conducted research and gathered statistics on Black lynchings.[6] In response to the Tuskegee Institute's work, the newspaper's editorial page strongly condemned such acts of violence, meanwhile the PCUSA General Assembly did not take as strong stance at that time.[6] Africo-American Presbyterian also supported Black voting rights, many decades before the 1965 Voting Rights Act.[6] In April 1925, the newspaper provided extensive coverage of racial tensions in Hampton, Virginia.[6]
Africo-American Presbyterian ceased published with volume 59, number 34 on September 29, 1939 and merged with The Southern Evangelist.[5][8] Digitized versions of the newspaper's issues are available online through the DigitalNC of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,[9] the Chronicling America archives of the Library of Congress,[8] and the Pearl Digital Collection by the Presbyterian Historical Society.[10]
See also
Notes
- PCUSA did not assign a Black missionary to Africa until 1920.