List of African-American newspapers in Pennsylvania

This is a list of African-American newspapers that have been published in the state of Pennsylvania.

Front page of an 1845 issue of The Mystery.

This list includes both current and historical newspapers. In the 19th century, Pennsylvania saw a level of publishing that rivaled New York, with 14 African-American periodicals in circulation from 1838 to 1906.[1] Pennsylvania's first African-American newspaper was The Mystery, published in Pittsburgh by Martin Robison Delany from 1843 to 1847.[2]

Today, Pennsylvania is home to numerous active African-American newspapers, including the oldest such newspaper nationwide, the Philadelphia Tribune. Other notable current newspapers include the New Pittsburgh Courier and Philadelphia Sunday Sun.

Newspapers

City	Title	Beginning	End	Frequency	Call numbers	Remarks
Allentown	First World News	1993[3]	1995[3]	Bimonthly newspaper[3]	ISSN 2639-958X LCCN 2011254374 OCLC 664611225
Harrisburg	The Harrisburg Journal	1976[4]	?[4]	Monthly newspaper[4]	LCCN sn88080949 OCLC 16570321	Published by Bill Kiser[4]
Harrisburg	The State Journal	1882[5] or 1883[6]	1885[5]	Weekly[5]	LCCN sn83027086, 2014254315 OCLC 9868965, 7254989
Harrisburg	The Harrisburg Tymes	1995[7]	?	Weekly[7]	OCLC 33424063
Philadelphia	Philadelphia Afro-American (1937–1965)[8] The Afro-American (1934–1937)[9]	1934[10]	1965[8]	Weekly[10]	LCCN sn84025924, sn83045816 OCLC 9673741, 10702239, 18842397	Circulation of 18,496 in 1951.[11]
Philadelphia	The Christian Banner	1888[12]	1920[12]	Weekly[12]	LCCN 2011254287, sn83027087 OCLC 745907855, 9869515
Philadelphia	The Christian Recorder / Daily Christian Recorder	1861[13]	1960[13]	Weekly[13]	LCCN sn93062890 OCLC 27975220	Associated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Philadelphia	The Christian Review	1913[14]	1952[14]	Weekly[14]	LCCN sn85054688	Circulation of 6,000 in 1951.[11]
Philadelphia	The Defender	1897[15]	1909?[15]	Weekly[15]	LCCN sn83027088, 2011254360 OCLC 9885792, 747837303	One issue available online Suspended publication in November 1905.[16] Published by H.C.C. Astwood[16]
Philadelphia	The Philadelphia Flame	1971[17]	?[17]		LCCN sn88079585 OCLC 18666635	Published by the Black United Liberation Front[17]
Philadelphia	Flipshot News	1993[18]	? [18]	Monthly newspaper[18]	OCLC 29329497
Philadelphia	Garvey's Voice	1960s[19]	?[19]	Irregular[19]	LCCN sn92060460, sn94092742 OCLC 8641694, 32785553	Extant through at least 1964. Published by Universal Negro Improvement Association[19]
Philadelphia	The Philadelphia Independent	1931[20]	1971[20]	Weekly[20]	LCCN sn85055146 OCLC 12715626	Circulation of 24,213 in 1951.[11]
Philadelphia	The Jamal Journal	1994[21]		Quarterly newspaper[21]	LCCN sn98068295 OCLC 32846849	Published by Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal.[21]
Philadelphia	The Journal	1892[22]	1892[22]	Weekly[22]	LCCN sn88079488 OCLC 18150882	Associated with Roman Catholicism.[22]
Philadelphia	The National Leader	1982[23]	1985[23]	Monthly newspaper[23]	ISSN 0744-5709 LCCN sn8203042, 850642950, sn88019240 OCLC 11810634, 19333155, 12761504, 8391610
Philadelphia	Philadelphia New Observer / Philadelphia Observer	1976[24]	current	Weekly[24]	ISSN 0890-8435 LCCN sn8602567, sn94093032 OCLC 14552816, 33390581	Official site
Philadelphia	North Philly Free Press	1982[25]	1983[25]	Monthly[25]	ISSN 2642-9888 LCCN 2013254349 OCLC 664611332
Philadelphia	Odd Fellows’ Journal	1897[26]	1917[26]	Weekly[26]	LCCN sn83027089 OCLC 9891050	One issue available online
Philadelphia	Schuylkill River Express	1970[27]	1972[27]	Irregular[27]	LCCN sn88079584 OCLC 18665479
Philadelphia	Scoop USA	1960[28]	current	Weekly[28]	ISSN 2688-6359 LCCN sn88080720 OCLC 17763219	Official site Free weekly newspaper.[28] Founded by Richard Driver and published since 2018 by Sherri Horsey Darden.[28]
Philadelphia	The Philadelphia Sunday Sun	1992[29]	current	Weekly[29]	OCLC 29329394	Official site
Philadelphia	Tribune Metro	1990?[30]	?[30]	Weekly[30]	OCLC 31216194
Philadelphia	The Philadelphia Tribune	1884[31]	current	Twice weekly[31]	ISSN 0746-956X LCCN sn83045144 OCLC 2759971, 2266077	Official site Oldest continuously-published African American newspaper. Circulation of 20,916 in 1951.[11]
Philadelphia	The Weekly Prophet	1900s[32]	1900s[32]	Weekly[32]	LCCN sn88079517 OCLC 18396408	Surviving issue from 1918.[32] Official newspaper of the Church of God and Saints of Christ.[32]
Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh Courier (1910–1967) New Pittsburgh Courier (1967–present)	1910[33]	current	Weekly[33]	LCCN sn83045181, sn83045340, sn83045182, sn84025931 OCLC 7191537, 7163977, 7163951, 7163927	Official site Circulation of 268,447 in 1951.[11]
Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh Homewood-Brushton News	1967?[34]	?[34]	Biweekly[34]	LCCN sn87080121, sn85054968 OCLC 15474152, 12178315	Published from 1967 to 1976 by Erroll Davis.[35]
Pittsburgh	The Mystery	1843[36]	1847[36]	Weekly[37]		"[T]he first African American newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains."[36]
Pittsburgh	The Pennsylvania Guard	1926?[38]	?[38]	Unknown[38]
Pittsburgh	Triangle Advocate			Weekly		Circulation of 2,000 in 1951.[11]
Pittsburgh	The Thrust	1968[39]	?[39]	Weekly[39]	LCCN sn89077276 OCLC 17735407	Published by the United Movement for Progress and edited by Bouie Haden.[39]
Reading	The ‘M’ Voice	1989?[40]	1995[40]	Monthly[40]	OCLC 33424010
West Philadelphia	Tribune Metro: West Philadelphia	1990?[41]	?[41]	Weekly[41]	OCLC 35201713	Extant through at least 1993.[41]

See also

• List of African-American newspapers and media outlets
• List of African-American newspapers in Delaware
• List of African-American newspapers in Maryland
• List of African-American newspapers in New Jersey
• List of African-American newspapers in New York
• List of African-American newspapers in Ohio
• List of newspapers in Pennsylvania

Works cited

• Blockson, Charles L. (1994). African Americans in Pennsylvania: A History and Guide. Black Classic Press. ISBN 9780933121850.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Danky, James Philip; Hady, Maureen E., eds. (1998). African-American newspapers and periodicals : a national bibliography. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674007888.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Penn, Irvine Garland (1891). The Afro-American Press and Its Editors. Willey & Company.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Pride, Armistead Scott; Wilson, Clint C. (1997). A History of the Black Press. Howard University Press. ISBN 9780882581927.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Smith, Jessie Carney (2012). Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 9781578593699.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Smith, Jessie Carney; Horton, Carrell Peterson, eds. (1995). Historical Statistics of Black America: Media to Vital Statistics. Gale Research. ISBN 0810393921.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

References

1. Blockson 1994, p. 60.
2. Smith 2012, p. 409.
3. "About First world news. [online resource] (Allentown, PA) 1993-1995". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
4. "About The Harrisburg journal. (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1976-????". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
5. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 541, ¶ 5634.
6. "About The state journal. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1883-1885". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
7. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 270, ¶ 2830.
8. "About Philadelphia Afro-American. [volume] (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1937-1965". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
9. "About The Afro-American. [volume] (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1934-1937". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
10. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 461, ¶ 4813.
11. Smith & Horton 1995, p. 1207.
12. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 150, ¶ 1559.
13. "About The Christian recorder. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1861-1960". Chronicling America. Library of Congress.
14. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 151, ¶ 1569.
15. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 189, ¶ 1965.
16. "About The defender. [online resource] (Philadelphia ;) 1897-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
17. "About The Philadelphia flame. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1971-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
18. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 228, ¶ 2384.
19. "About Garvey's voice. [volume] (Philadelphia, Pa.) 196?-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
20. "About The Philadelphia independent. [volume] (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1931-1971". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
21. "About The Jamal journal. [volume] (Philadelphia, PA) 1994-current". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
22. "About The Journal. (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1892-1892". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
23. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 391, ¶ 4077.
24. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 462, ¶ 4815.
25. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 430, ¶ 4471.
26. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 438, ¶ 4567.
27. "About Schuylkill River express. ([Philadelphia, Pa.) 1970-1972". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
28. Russ, Valerie (2018-07-26). "New publisher of Philly's Scoop USA keeps a black-owned newspaper going with faith and own funds". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
29. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 462, ¶ 4816.
30. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 567, ¶ 5925.
31. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 462, ¶ 4817.
32. "About The Weekly prophet. (Philadelphia, Pa.) 19??-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
33. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 412, ¶ 4289.
34. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 465, ¶ 4845.
35. "Erroll B. Davis". Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
36. Davidson, Adenike Marie. "Martin Robinson Delany (1812–1885)". In Nelson, Emmanuel Sampath (ed.). African American Authors, 1745-1945: Bio-bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. p. 101.
37. "The Mystery". Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
38. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 458, ¶ 4770.
39. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 560, ¶ 5848.
40. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 348, ¶ 3649.
41. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 567, ¶ 5927.