This is a list of African American newspapers that have been published in Louisiana. It includes both current and historical newspapers.
The first African American newspaper in Louisiana was L'Union, a French-language newspaper launched in 1862.[1][2] The first daily African American newspaper in Louisiana, and in the entire country, came two years later with La Tribune de la Nouvelle-Orléans.[3][4]
Notably, although the Louisiana Creole people were not considered Black until after the Civil War, the history of African American newspapers in Louisiana is sometimes considered to begin with the New Orleans Daily Creole, a Creole pro-slavery newspaper launched in 1856. However, scholars of the African American press generally exclude the Daily Creole.[5][3]
Although L'Union was the first African American newspaper in Louisiana, it was not the state's first African American periodical: starting in 1843 a successful African American literary magazine was published in New Orleans, titled L'Album Litteraire, Journal des Jeunes Gens.[4]
Many African American newspapers are published in Louisiana today; they are highlighted in green in the list below. The oldest such newspaper still in publication is The Shreveport Sun, established in 1920.[6]
City | Title | Beginning | End | Frequency | Call numbers | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alexandria | The Louisiana Baptist | 1800s[7] | ?[7] | Weekly[7] |
|
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Alexandria | 1963[10] | 1999[8] | Weekly[10] |
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||
Baton Rouge | The Capital City Weekly | 1946[11] | 1900s[11] | Weekly[11] | ||
Baton Rouge | The Baton Rouge Chronicle | 1993?[12] | ?[12] | Monthly[12] |
|
|
Baton Rouge | 1952[15] | ? | Weekly[15] |
|
||
Baton Rouge | Eagle Dispatch | 1900s[19] | ?[19] | Weekly[19] |
|
|
Baton Rouge | The Eagle Dispatch | 1923?[20] | ?[20] | Weekly[20] |
|
|
Baton Rouge | The Baton Rouge Examiner | 1983[21] | 1984?[21] | Monthly[21] |
|
|
Baton Rouge | The Grand Era | 1870[22] | 1877[22] | Weekly[22] |
|
|
Baton Rouge | The Greater Baton Rouge Metro | 1983[24] | 1986?[24] | Weekly[24] |
|
|
Baton Rouge | The Baton Rouge Herald | 1960[25] | 1961[25] | Weekly[25] | ||
Baton Rouge | The Observer | 1899[26] | 1900[26] | Weekly[26] | ||
Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge Post | 1937[27] | ?[27] | Weekly[27] | ||
Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge Post | 1983[29] | 2007[28] | Irregular[29] or weekly[28] |
|
|
Baton Rouge | The Southern Digest | ?[30] | current | Weekly during Southern University fall, spring and summer semesters[30] | ||
Baton Rouge | Weekly Press | 1980s[31] | current | Weekly[31] | ||
Grambling | Spectrum | 1991?[32] | ? | Bimonthly newspaper[32] |
|
|
Lafayette | Lafayette News Leader | 1970?[34] | 1900s[33] | Weekly[34] |
|
|
Lafayette | The Rising Seed | 1989[35] | 1993[35] | Monthly[35] |
|
|
Lake Charles | Lake Charles News Leader | 1966[36] | 1973[36] | Weekly[36] | ||
Monroe | 1932[38] | ?[37] | Weekly[37] |
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||
Monroe | The Monroe Dispatch | 1971[39] or 1975[40] | current | Weekly[39] |
|
|
Monroe | 1969 | current | Weekly[42] |
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|
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Monroe / Baton Rouge (1968–1973)[46] | Monroe News Leader | 1963?[45] | ?[45] | Weekly[45] | ||
New Orleans | The New Orleans Advocate | 1866[47] | 1869[47] | Weekly[47] | ||
New Orleans | The Black PAC Epitaph | 1970s[48] | ?[48] |
|
||
New Orleans | The Black Republican | 1865[50] | 1865[49] | Weekly[50] |
|
|
New Orleans | The Carrollton Advocate | 1970[51] | 1970[51] | Irregular[51] | ||
New Orleans | The Crusader | 1889[52] | 1890s[52] | Weekly[52] | ||
New Orleans | The Crusader | 1889[53] | 1891[53] or 1898[52] | Weekly[53] | ||
New Orleans | The Daily Crusader | 1891[54] | 1896[54] | Daily[54] | ||
New Orleans | The Daily Spokesman | 1914[55] | 1900s[55] | Daily[55] | ||
New Orleans | 1967[57] | current | Weekly[59] or biweekly[57] | |||
New Orleans | Le Dimanche | 1861[60] | 1876[60] | Weekly[60] | ||
New Orleans | The Free South | 1868[62] | ?[62] | Weekly[62] |
|
|
New Orleans | The New Orleans Herald | 1925[63] | 1925[63] | Biweekly[63] | ||
New Orleans | The Hope for the Future | 1969[64] | ?[64] | Unknown[64] | ||
New Orleans | 1940[65] | ?[65] | Weekly[65] |
|
||
New Orleans | Inside New Orleans | 1964[67] | ?[67] | Weekly[67] | ||
New Orleans | 1862[68] | 1864[68] | Triweekly[68] | |||
New Orleans | The Louisiana Weekly | 1925[71] | current | Weekly[71] | ||
New Orleans | National Negro Voice | 1924[72] | ?[72] | Monthly newspaper[73] | ||
New Orleans | The Negro Gazette | 1872[74] | 1872[74] | Weekly[74] |
|
|
New Orleans | The Plain Truth Of New Orleans | 1969[75] | 1970[75] | Bimonthly newspaper[75] | ||
New Orleans | The Republican Courier | 1899[76] | 1900[76] | Weekly[76] | ||
New Orleans | The Louisiana Republican | 1881[77] | 1882[77] | Weekly[77] |
|
|
New Orleans | New Orleans Sentinel | 1940[78] | 1940s[78] | Weekly[78] | ||
New Orleans | The Sepia Socialite | 1937[79] | 1945[79] | Weekly[79] | ||
New Orleans | Southern Republican | 1898[80] | 1907[80] | Weekly[80] |
|
|
New Orleans | Southwestern Advocate | 1873[81] | 1876[81] | Biweekly[81] |
|
|
New Orleans | Southwestern Christian Advocate | 1877[82] | 1929[82] | Weekly[82] | ||
New Orleans | The Spectator | 1982[83] | 1983[83] | Weekly[83] | ||
New Orleans |
|
1864[84] | 1870?[84] | Daily from 1864 to 1869[85] | ||
New Orleans |
|
1870[87] | 1882[87] | Weekly[87] or twice weekly[89] |
|
|
New Orleans | The Weekly Pelican | 1886[90] | 1889[90] | Weekly[90] |
|
|
Plaquemine | The Fraternal Herald | 1930[91] | ?[91] | Weekly[91] |
|
|
Plaquemine | New Orleans Broadcast - Fraternal Herald | 1934[92] | ?[92] | Weekly[92] | ||
Ponchatoula | The Drum | 1980s[93] | current | Weekly[93] | ||
Scotlandville | Baton Rouge Scotland Press | 1970s[94] | 1980s[94] | Weekly[94] | ||
Shreveport | Shreveport Afro-American | 1920s[95] | ? | Weekly[95] |
|
|
Shreveport | Councilor | 1962[96] | 1981[96] | Monthly newspaper[96] | ||
Shreveport |
|
1920[98] | current | Weekly[99] |
|
|
St. Martinville |
|
1872[100] | 1878[100] | Weekly[100] | ||
Thibodaux | The Lafourche Monitor | 1905?[102] | ?[102] | Twice monthly[102] |
|
|
Vidalia | The Concordia Eagle | 1873[103] | 1890[103] | Weekly[103] |
|
The oldest black newspaper in Louisiana that is still in existence is the Shreveport Sun. The Sun was first published in Shreveport on November 6, 1920 by Melvin Lee Collins, Sr.
Monroe Free Press began in 1969 as information outlet of the local Civil Rights Movement. It was a single sheet flier distributed to inform residents about stores that discriminated against blacks, those that were equal opportunity and announced meetings, rallies and demonstration plans. In December of 1969 the flier was called the "Rapping Black" and changed over the years to its present name "Monroe Free Press."