 December 2020 issue | |
| Type | Monthly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Sandra Williams |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | 1312 N. Monroe Street, #148 Spokane, WA 99201 |
| Circulation | 700. Issues monthly(as of 2016) [1] |
| Website | blacklensnews.com |
Black Lens News is a monthly African-American newspaper based in Spokane, Washington.
The newspaper was founded in 2015 by Sandra Williams who acted as the newspaper's publisher and editor. [2] [3] Williams, who partly grew up in the Spokane area, remembered that the region used to have the newspaper African American Voice, which covered topics relevant to the Black community. [4] She got the idea for creating a new newspaper for the Black community while her father was dying and came out with the first issue in January 2015. [4] A U.S. Justice Department report noting the disproportionate use of force on African Americans in Spokane shaped her vision for the paper, and was the focus of its first lead story. [5]
The newspaper was originally twelve pages and has expanded to 20. [4] It contains Black news highlights from other sources both local and in the larger world as well as local sections such as its "It Takes a Village" section which highlights accomplishments of local people and a regular column "Thoughts from a Grandmother". [4] The newspaper primarily circulates through Black churches and businesses and contains a directory of Black-owned businesses. [6]
Williams ran the paper until she died in a floatplane crash near Whidbey Island on September 4, 2022. She was 60. [7] The paper went on hiatus until relaunching in February 2024 with a new website. [8] Williams’s family, several foundations, local businesses and some journalists from The Spokesman-Review created a non-profit to run the paper following the founder's death. And Gonzaga University has plans to provide office space. [9]
Spokane is the most populous city in and seat of government of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, 92 miles (148 km) south of the Canadian border, 18 miles (30 km) west of the Washington–Idaho border, and 279 miles (449 km) east of Seattle, along Interstate 90.
Spokane Valley is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States, and the largest suburb of Spokane. It is located east of Spokane, west of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and surrounds the city of Millwood on three sides. The city incorporated as the City of Spokane Valley on March 31, 2003. The population was 102,976 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-largest city in Washington state. Spokane Valley is named after the valley of the Spokane River, in which it is located. The city and the general area is colloquially referred to as "The Valley" by residents of the Spokane–Coeur d'Alene area.
Black Press Group Ltd. (BPG) is a Canadian commercial printer and newspaper publisher founded in 1975 by David Holmes Black, who has no relation to Canadian-born media mogul Conrad Black. Based in Surrey, British Columbia, it was previously owned by the publisher of Toronto Star and Black (80.65%).
The Everett Herald is a daily newspaper based in Everett, Washington, United States. It is owned by Sound Publishing, Inc. The paper serves residents of Snohomish County.
The Spokesman-Review is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in eastern Washington and northern Idaho.
John Vincent Geraghty Jr. was an American civic politician, journalist, and public relations consultant from Spokane, Washington. In 1964, he was elected to the Spokane County Board of Commissioners, while simultaneously serving in the Air National Guard and working as a staff journalist with the Spokane Daily Chronicle. He resigned as County Commissioner in 1971, when the City of Spokane began preparing to host the 1974 World's Fair. While he was initially named as the Director of Public Relations, he was later appointed to serve as the Vice President of Exhibitor and Guest Relations. At that time, he established the public relations consulting firm of Jack Geraghty and Associates. In 1975, he founded the short-lived weekly newspaper, known as The Falls. In 1992, he was elected as the 40th mayor of the city, serving from 1993 to 1998. In 2011, he was honored as a member of the University of Washington Department of Communication's Alumni Hall of Fame.
Whitworth University is a private, Christian university that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 1890, Whitworth enrolls nearly 2,600 students and offers more than 100 graduate and undergraduate programs.
The Cowles Company is a diversified media company in Spokane, Washington, in the US. The company owns and operates The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, founded in 1894, and owned the Spokane Daily Chronicle until it was shut down in 1992. Built by William H. Cowles, the publishing business eventually constructed striking buildings in downtown Spokane for both papers. The Chronicle Building was eventually converted into offices and then residential. The company also owned several other papers and operates Inland Empire Paper Company, television stations, and interests in real estate, insurance, marketing and financial services.
Kansas City The Call, or The Call is an African-American weekly newspaper founded in 1919 in Kansas City, Missouri by Chester A. Franklin. It continues to serve the black community of Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas.
William Goodyear was an American football coach, newspaper editor, publisher, and politician in Whitman County in eastern Washington. He was the first head coach of the Washington State Cougars football team, holding that position for the 1894 college football season. Goodyear was also a newspaper publisher and editor. His newspapers included the Pullman Herald, the Pullman News, the Colfax Commoner in Colfax, Washington, the Palouse City News in Palouse, Washington, and the Pacific Farmers' Union. He was also active in Democratic Party politics and was the party's candidate for United States Congress in Washington's 3rd congressional district in 1908.
The Spokane Daily Chronicle is a daily digital newspaper in Spokane, Washington. It was founded as a weekly paper in 1881 and grew into an afternoon daily, competing with The Spokesman-Review, which was formed from the merger of two competing papers.
Isamu Jordan was an American journalist, musician, and professor. When he was 15 years old, he joined the staff of The Spokesman-Review, where he wrote articles for Our Generation, the teen section of the newspaper. After earning a Bachelor's degree in English and Journalism, he returned to the paper, where he wrote articles about music and pop culture. He also wrote and edited articles for the weekly news magazine Spokane7, which provided coverage on local entertainment, art and culture, dining, and sporting events. As a musician, he was a member of the band The Dead Casuals and was known for establishing the hip hop orchestra, Flying Spiders, in which he was the lead vocalist. As the creator, producer, and director of The Som Show, Jordan provided booking support and concert promotions for local bands and music artists, while his multimedia music website featured artist profiles, events, and venues, along with videos and concert reviews. Spokane's Online Music Awards, known as The Sommy Awards, honored local bands and musicians through nominations made through his website. In addition to his background in journalism and music, Jordan was an adjunct professor and Program Director of Intercultural Student Services at Whitworth University.
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Nkechi Amare Diallo is an American former college instructor and activist known for presenting herself as a black woman despite being born to white parents. She is also a former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter president.
TheOmaha Star is a newspaper founded in 1938 in North Omaha, Nebraska, by Mildred Brown and her husband S. Edward Gilbert. Housed in the historic Omaha Star building in the Near North Side neighborhood, today the Omaha Star is the only remaining African-American newspaper in Omaha. It may be the only newspaper in the United States started by an African-American woman.
Eleanor Barrow Chase was an American social worker and civic leader in Spokane, Washington. She was particularly active in organizations devoted to young people and to education, and was the first African American woman on the board of trustees at Eastern Washington University, where she was instrumental in securing EWU's admission as a member of the Big Sky Conference in 1987. She also served on the board of trustees at Whitworth College.
The flag of Spokane, Washington, is the official municipal flag of Spokane, Washington, United States. Its design comprises a sun in the canton on a white-and-green field separated by a stylized blue river. The flag was adopted in 2021 and is the fourth to be used by the city government.
The Minnesota Spokesman–Recorder is an African-American, English-language newspaper headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and serves readers in the Twin Cities. Founded in 1934 by Cecil Earle Newman, it is the oldest continuously operated black newspaper and longest-lived black-owned business in Minnesota. The current CEO of the paper is Newman's granddaughter, Tracey Williams-Dillard. The current editor is Mel Reeves.
DeCharlene Williams was an African-American business owner, community leader, activist, author, and political candidate in Seattle. She is the founder of the Central Area Chamber of Commerce, a group that focused on the common challenges facing Black business owners in the late twentieth century. She ran for Mayor of Seattle in 1993 and a Seattle City Council seat in 1997.
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