Echoes From the Sandhills

##Power of the Early Black Press

Series 1: In Print and In Power — Black Newspapers of the Sandhills

Echo 2 – The Power of the Early Black Press

Imagine this: Just a few years removed from enslavement. A few years removed from it being illegal to learn to read and write. Yet, through perseverance and determination, Black newspapers sprang forth in the Sandhills region and beyond. These publications became lifelines of truth, education, and empowerment — testaments to the resilience of a people once denied literacy, now using the written word to claim freedom and dignity.

In this Echo, we highlight three early Black newspapers: The Educator (Fayetteville, NC), The Wilmington Daily Record (Wilmington, NC), and The Journal of Freedom (Raleigh, NC).

The Journal of Freedom (Raleigh, 1865–1867)

• Editor: Edward P. Brooks, a Northern missionary and educator.

• Significance: Although not Black-owned or published, the Raleigh Journal of Freedom is recognized as North Carolina’s first newspaper created specifically for and centered on the voices of African Americans. Founded just after the Civil War, it addressed urgent issues of freedom, citizenship, and equality at a time when Black literacy had only recently been forbidden by law. By celebrating milestones such as the graduation of the first woman of African descent from college or reporting on efforts by General Howard and the Freedmen’s Bureau to establish schools for freed people, the paper circulated ideas that empowered its readers. In giving voice to a newly literate community, it transformed silence into power and laid the foundation for future African American journalism in the state.

The Educator (Fayetteville, 1874–1875)

• Editors and Publishers: William Caswell Smith and Cornelius D. Waddell — both African American.

• Significance: Although The Educator was only published for two years, it contains a wealth of knowledge that we will explore later during the Echoes Series on Black Churches. As a teaser, readers will encounter letters to the editor that speak to the beginnings of the first edifice for Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church in Manchester, N.C. Founded by leaders within the Black community, The Educator championed both education and faith, partnering closely with A.M.E. Zion churches to promote literacy, moral development, and community leadership. At a time when African Americans had only recently been allowed to learn, this paper demonstrated the power of self-representation through both learning and spiritual uplift, leaving a lasting imprint on the history of African American journalism in the Sandhills region and beyond.

  
  

The Wilmington Daily Record (Wilmington, until 1898)

• Editor: Alex Manly, a prominent African American journalist

• Significance: The Record was one of the only daily newspapers in the United States owned and operated by African Americans. It gave voice to issues of racial justice, political rights, and community progress. Its destruction during the Wilmington Coup of 1898 became a defining moment in both North Carolina and U.S. history, marking the violent suppression of Black political power and press freedom.

Why These Papers Still Matter

Though some of these newspapers had short lifespans, their impact was profound. Each one stood as a monument to the power of learning, a right once denied, now fiercely claimed. They remind us that literacy was never just about letters on a page, but about liberation, identity, and voice.

The partnership between newspapers like The Educator and local Black churches also shows how education and faith were intertwined, each strengthening the other to build resilient communities.

Coming Soon: Echo 3

We’re not done yet. While The Journal of Freedom, The Educator, and The Wilmington Daily Record blazed the trail, more voices quickly followed. In our next Echo, we’ll explore other groundbreaking newspapers, The Africo-American Presbyterian paper from Wilmington, and The Messenger and Star of Zion out of Charlotte. Though not published in the Sandhills, these papers often carried stories, announcements, and perspectives that touched the Sandhills region, showing how deeply connected local communities were to the broader struggles and triumphs of African Americans across North Carolina.

Stay tuned — Echo 3 will be posted in two weeks, on our regular every-other-Thursday schedule.

Note: All excerpts from the historic newspapers featured in this series were accessed through Newspapers.com.