Black History Month Blog

An exhibit on the history of African American newspapers in Richmond is on display on the fourth floor of the James Branch Cabell Library. The exhibit uses newspapers housed in Special Collections and Archives to help tell the story of the 130 year history of African American newspapers in the city. The primary focus of the exhibit is on the Richmond
Planet, which began publishing in Richmond in 1883. It became the leading African American newspaper in Richmond. In 1938 the Planet was bought out by the Afro-American of Baltimore, Maryland and transformed into the Richmond Afro-American. The Afro-American became the city's most prominent black newspaper lasting until 1996. Today the legacy of the black press in Richmond exists with two weeklys, the Richmond Free Press [published by Ray Boone], which began in 1992, and the Richmond Voice, established in 1987.

-- Ray Bonis, Special Collections and Archives.