LibGuides: African and African Diaspora Studies: Newspapers and Magazines

Newspaper Databases

Databases
Open Access Newspapers

African American Communities (AAC)
Unlimited.
Presents multiple aspects of the African American community through personal diaries and scrapbooks, pamphlets, newspapers and periodicals, correspondence, official records and in-depth oral histories.
African American Historical Serials Collection
Unlimited users.
The African American Historical Serials Collection, developed in conjunction with American Theological Library Association (ATLA) features more than 170 unique periodical titles related to the history of African American life and culture, with extensive coverage of religious organizations, churches, and institutions. Material was published between 1829 and 1922.
African American Newspapers, Series 1
Unlimited users.
Updated regularly (until completed). When completed, will provide online access to approximately 270 African American U.S. newspapers. Features papers from more than 35 states. The newspapers were scanned from the collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Kansas State Historical Society and the Library of Congress.
African American Newspapers, Series 2
Unlimited users.
Updated regularly (until completed). When completed, will provide online access to approximately 270 African American U.S. newspapers. Features papers from more than 35 states. The newspapers were scanned from the collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Kansas State Historical Society and the Library of Congress.
African American Newspapers in the South, 1870-1926
Unlimited users.
Documents the African American press in the South from Reconstruction through the Jim Crow period. Written by African Americans for African Americans, the first-hand reporting, editorials, and features kept readers abreast of current domestic and international events, often focusing on racial issues.
African American Periodicals
Unlimited users.
African American Periodicals, 1825-1995, features more than 170 wide-ranging periodicals by and about African Americans. Published in 26 states, the publications include academic and political journals, commercial magazines, institutional newsletters, organizations bulletins, annual reports and other genres.

Explore this collection of open access, historical African American newspapers available online. Browse by title, time period or region. Compiled by Marist Library.

Find more African American newspapers in the Primary Sources: Databases tab.

Digitized Magazines

Black Enterprise
Online version of Black Enterprise digitized by Google. African American business publication since 1970.
Black World/Negro Digest (1961-1976)
Founded in 1943, Negro Digest (later “Black World”) was the publication that launched Johnson Publishing. During the most turbulent years of the civil rights movement, Negro Digest/Black World served as a critical vehicle for political thought for supporters of the movement.
Colored American Magazine (1900-1909)
During a period of intensifying racial violence and Black disfranchisement in the United States, the Colored American Magazine served a vital role in promoting the development of African American literature, protesting injustice, and contesting dominant representations of African American culture and history.
Commerorator Newspaper (1991-2012)
Newspaper printed in South Berkeley from 1990-2013 by the Commemoration Committee for the Black Panther Party.
Crisis Magazine (1910-2011)
The Crisis, founded by W.E.B. Du Bois as the official publication of the NAACP, is a journal of civil rights, history, politics, and culture and seeks to educate and challenge its readers about issues that continue to plague African Americans and other communities of color.
Ebony (1959-2008)
Founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson, it still maintains the highest global circulation of any African American-focused magazine.
Ebony Jr. (1973-1985)
Created by the publishers of Ebony. During its years of publishing it was the largest ever children-focused publication for African Americans.
Essence (1970-2005)
A fashion, beauty and culture magazine dedicated to Black women.
Jet Magazine (1951-2005)
Weekly source of African American political and entertainment news.

Featured Newspapers

A select few of historical African-American newspapers in our collection.

Atlanta Daily World (Historical)
Unlimited users.
Full page and article images of Atlanta Daily World (1931-2010) and Atlanta World (1931-1932), with searchable full text. Users can study the progression of issues over time by browsing issues of this historic Southern Black community newspaper, including news articles, photos, advertisements, classified ads, obituaries, editorials, cartoons, and more.
Baltimore Afro-American (Historical)
Unlimited users.
Searchable database of the "Afro-American", one of the most widely circulated African-American newspapers on the Atlantic Coast. Includes full-text and full-image newspaper articles published from 1893 to 2010. Digital reproductions of every page and every article from every issue are available in downloadable PDF files.
Chicago Defender (Historical)
Unlimited users.
Includes the full image of articles published in the Chicago Defender from 1910 to 2010. You can browse individual issues by clicking Publications at the top of the screen, or search by keyword(s), author(s), article title, date ranges, and more. Includes illustrations and advertisements. The Chicago Defender was the most influential African-American newspaper of the 20th century. With the majority of its readership outside the Chicago region, it served as the de facto national black newspaper in the U.S. The Defender covered events in the South, such as lynchings, that Southern black newspapers could not safely report. The paper was a major influence for the Great Migration of African Americans to the North in the early 20th century. Later issues of the Chicago Defender are in the Ethnic NewsWatch database.
New York Amsterdam News (Historical)
Unlimited users.
Full page and article images of various editions of the New York Amsterdam News newspaper, with combined coverage from 1922 to 2010. The newspaper offers primary source material relevant to the study of American history and African-American culture, history, politics, and the arts. Coverage includes news stories, editorials, letters to the editor, obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, photos, and advertisements. Later issues of the New York Amsterdam News are in the Ethnic NewsWatch database.