Birmingham Times

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The Birmingham Times
Birmingham Times.png
front page of BT, August 15, 2020
Type Weekly newspaper
PublisherSamuel Martin
EditorBarnett Wright
Founded1964
Headquarters115 3rd Avenue West Birmingham, Alabama
Website birminghamtimes.com

The Birmingham Times is a weekly African-American newspaper published in Birmingham, Alabama.

Contents

History

The newspaper was founded in 1964 by Jesse Lewis Sr. in order to give the local Black community a greater voice during the civil rights struggle. [1] [2] Lewis wanted to provide an alternative to the News and Post-Herald , which only mentioned Black people in a negative light, and the Birmingham World, which Lewis felt only focused on discrimination. [3] The paper did not own its own printing press and sometimes struggled with getting their printer to print the paper because of its anti-segregation stance. [3] Lewis stated that he wanted the Times to be "committed to covering the fullness and totality of life, not just the controversial and political." [3]

The paper was sold to Lewis's son James in 1998 with Cheryl Eldridge staying on as the editor in chief. [4] [5] In 2019 the paper was sold to The Foundation for Progress in Journalism (FPJ), a non-profit created honoring Lewis, with the aim to promote minorities advancement in journalism. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 Poe, Kelly (January 29, 2016). "Birmingham Times sold to non-profit foundation, names new management". al. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  2. Danky, James Philip; Hady, Maureen E. (1998). African-American newspapers and periodicals : a national bibliography. Mark Graham. Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press. p. 19. ISBN   978-0-674-00788-8.
  3. 1 2 3 Cobb, Mark Hughes. "Jesse Lewis looks back on a life full of success". Tuscaloosa News. Gannett. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  4. Diel, Stan (April 8, 2013). "Birmingham Times publisher James Lewis remembered as hard-working advocate for black community". al. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  5. "Jesse Lewis Sr". 2020 Bicentennial Alabama African American History Book Site. December 23, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2020.