The first black publications (4/28)

Why don't we celebrate 

the origin of black publication and creativity. more often? Let's have a look into the backgrounds of the the people that paved the way for some incredible authors in our era.

Freedom's Journal - 1827-1829

• The first African-American newspaper was founded to strengthen the autonomy and common identity for African Americans.
• It provided a resource for free blacks in the US to elevate their literacy rate.
• As black populations grew in urban areas, more newspapers were made.
• They printed political commentaries, poetry, essays, fictional stories, and more.
• "Theresa", potentially the first published work of a black women, had a female protagonist of African descent. The story shows bravery, heroism and an idealized depiction of Black womanhood which was largely absent from fiction of the time.

The Harlem Rennaissance - 1920's-1930's

• It was an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American arts centered in Harlem that spread as far as France.
• Focused on challenging the prevailing racial stereotypes of the era and allowed for the expression of racial pride.
• Opened doors for many black authors to be published.
• Popular contributors: James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Anna Spencer, Jean Toomer, Jessie Faucet, Alain Locke, Omar Al Amiri, Eric D. Walrond, and Richard Bruce Nugent