African American History

The purpose of early African-American journalism was " 1) to define the identity of a people who had been stripped of their own culture in a hostile environment; 2) to create a sense of unity by establishing a network of communication among literate blacks and their white supporters throughout the country; 3) to examine issues from a black perspective; 4) to chronicle black achievements that were ignored by the American mainstream; and 5) to further the cause of black liberation" (Garland, 2006. "Journalism." Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, p. 1203).