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The History of Amsterdam News
The Amsterdam News is basically one
of the leading newspapers in New York City. It was first
established in December 4, 1909 by James H. Anderson,
with an initial capital of $10. Since its first
introduction, the Amsterdam News has been considered as
one of the leading black weekly newspapers for most of
the 20th century.
Owing to its ideal location in the
center of Harlem, the Amsterdam News was the primary
talking head for one of the largest African-American
communities in the United States. As a people’s
mouthpiece, the Amsterdam News generally placed emphasis
on covering the black community’s society news. Thus,
included in its sections are weddings, engagements,
births and charity events.
The Amsterdam News is very popular
throughout the city of New York, with the highest
circulation of more than 100,000. One particular
memorable record in the history of the Amsterdam News is
the year 1940s when this medium became one of the four
leading black newspapers in the country, along with The
Pittsburgh Courier, The Afro-American, and The Chicago
Defender.
According to its early history, the
Amsterdam News was named after the avenue in which the
founder, James H. Anderson, lived – in the black
community once known as San Juan Hill. It was also at
this area where the first issues of the newspaper were
formed, out of Anderson’s home at 132 West 65th
Street. It was only in 1910 that the business offices
were relocated. Also, during this early period, between
1910s to 20s, the Amsterdam News was wrote and edited by
one of the renowned black journalists, T. Thomas
Fortune.
In 1926, the wife of Edward Warren,
one of the first publishers of the Amsterdam News
purchased the paper. It was only in January 10, 1936
that the paper was resold to two West Indian physicians,
who served respectively as editor-publisher and
secretary-treasurer of the publication. Under their
management, the now semi-weekly paper became the first
African American newspaper to have all of its
departments unionized. It was during this period in the
history of the Amsterdam News that the paper started to
focus on not only local, but also national events and
issues as well. Many well-known personalities then
contributed their works to the Amsterdam News, and it
was Marvel Cooke, who became the paper’s first female
new reporter.
Since its introduction, the Amsterdam
News had championed a number of civil rights causes. As
found out, the paper joined forces with other black
papers during the Second World War to fight for civil
rights in the armed forces. Then, in the 1950s and 60s,
it was at the forefront in chronicling the events of the
civil rights movement, like the well-known Montgomery
Bus Boycott in Alabama, the Freedom Riders bus burning
incident, as well as a number of riots.
The Amsterdam News started to pay
attention on Malcolm X, and it was in the year 1958 that
this paper began publishing one of its popular columns,
the “God’s Angry Man”. In 1971, the paper was bought
for $2.3 million by a group of investors which included
Percy E. Sutton, a former Manhattan Borough President.
In 1983, Wilbert A. Tatum and several
Harlem business associated purchased the paper, and they
eventually began controlling interest. It was in
December 1997 that the daughter of W.A Tatum named
Eleanor Tatum was appointed to the position of publisher
and editor in chief of the newspaper. Their management
continues up to the these days. |
