List of African-American newspapers in Rhode Island

This is a list of African-American newspapers that have been published in the state of Rhode Island. It includes both current and historical newspapers.

Relatively few African-American newspapers have been published in Rhode Island. The first known such newspaper, and the only one published in the 19th century, was John Henry Ballou's Eastern Review (1879–1880).[1] Rhode Island was thus the only state to show a net drop in African-American newspapers between 1880 and 1890, namely from 1 to 0, as Irvine Garland Penn recorded in The Afro-American Press and Its Editors.[2]

In addition to its African-American newspapers, Rhode Island is the site of another important advancement in the history of the Black press: when John Carter Minkins became editor-in-chief of the Providence News-Democrat in 1906, he was the first African American to head a daily newspaper that catered to the white community.[3] Upon leaving the News-Democrat in 1911, Minkins purchased the weekly Rhode Island Examiner, which under his leadership gave front-page coverage to issues affecting African Americans.[4]

Newspapers
City Title Beginning End Frequency Call numbers Remarks
Providence The Advance 1906[5] ?[5] Monthly newspaper[5]
  • LCCN sn92063903
  • OCLC 25116082
  • Suspended publication from June to December 1935.[5]
Providence The Providence American 1986[6] current Biweekly[6] or monthly[7]
  • Official site
  • Founded by Frank Graham, and purchased by Peter Wells in 2006.[8]
  • Became online-only in 2019.[8]
Providence Providence Chronicle 1939[9] 1957[9] Weekly[9]
  • Published by William D. Wiley.[10]
  • Circulation of 1,541 in 1951.[11]
Providence The Citizen 1968[12] 1970s[12] Weekly[12]
  • Published by John E. Singleton[12]
Providence Eastern Review 1879[13][14] 1880[13] Weekly[15]
  • Edited by John Henry Ballou, Rhode Island's first African-American attorney.[14]
  • Weekly circulation of approximately 500.[15]
  • Only African-American newspaper published in Rhode Island through at least 1890.[2]
Providence The Ebenezer Grapevine 1978[16] 1980s[16] Monthly newspaper[16]
  • Followed by the Ocean State Grapevine.[16]
  • Published by Ebenezer Baptist Church.[16]
Providence New England Torch Light / New England Torchlight 1890s Weekly[17]
  • Published by J.W. Henderson.[18] Edited by Barney McKay.[19]
Providence The North Star 1977[20] ?[20] Monthly newspaper[20]
Providence Ocean State Grapevine 1986[21] 1980s[22] Twice-monthly[22] or biweekly[21]
  • Billed as “Rhode Island’s only Black newspaper.”
  • Successor to the Ebenezer Grapevine, and published by Coach's Cultural Hour, Inc.[22]
Providence The Sun 1890s Weekly[17]

See also

Works cited

References
  1. Penn 1891, pp. 113-114.
  2. Penn 1891, p. 114.
  3. Lemons & Lambert 2003, p. 413.
  4. Lemons & Lambert 2003, pp. 424-425.
  5. "About The advance. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  6. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 477, ¶ 4969.
  7. "About The Providence American. (Providence, R.I.) 198?-201?". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  8. "RI's Media Decline — Projo Staff Cuts, Providence American Stops Printing and Pivots to Digital". GoLocalProv.com. 2019-01-30. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  9. "About Providence chronicle. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1939-1957". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  10. Bell, Andrew J. (1997). An assessment of life in Rhode Island as an African American in the era from 1918 to 1993. Vantage Press. p. 111. ISBN 9780533120659.
  11. Smith & Horton 1995, p. 1207.
  12. "About The citizen. (Providence, R.I.) 1968-197?". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  13. North, Simon Newton Dexter (1884). History and Present Condition of the Newspaper and Periodical Press of the United States: With a Catalogue of the Publications of the Census Year. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 333.
  14. Howard, R. H.; Crocker, Henry E. (1881). "Ballou, Esq. John H.". A History of New England: Containing Historical and Descriptive Sketches of the Counties, Cities and Principal Towns of the Six New England States. Crocker & Company. p. 7.
  15. C.A. Cooke and Co.'s United States Newspaper Directory Revised, Containing Names of All the Newspapers and Other Periodicals Published in America. Cook, C.A. & Co. 1881. p. 177.
  16. "About The Ebenezer grapevine. (Providence, R.I.) 1978-198?". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  17. Afro-American Encyclopedia: Or, the Thoughts, Doings, and Sayings of the Race. Haley & Florida. 1895. p. 134.
  18. The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer. Sampson & Murdock Company. 1896. p. 1858.
  19. "McKay, Barney M. [McDougal]". Notable Kentucky African Americans Database. University of Kentucky. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  20. "About The north star. (Providence [R.I.]) 1977-19??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  21. Danky & Hady 1998, p. 438, ¶ 4564.
  22. "About Ocean state grapevine. (Providence, R.I.) 1986-198?". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
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