Freedom's JournalPublication Date: May 30, 1828
Notes: Freedom’s Journal was the first African American owned and operated newspaper in the United States. A weekly four column publication printed every Friday, Freedom’s Journal was founded by free born African Americans John Russwurm and Samuel Cornish on March 16, 1827 in New York City, New York. Russwurm and Cornish placed great value on the need for reading and writing as keys to empowerment for the black population and they hoped a black newspaper would encourage literacy and intellectual development among African Americans. The paper’s support of colonization, however, was unpopular with its readers and subscriptions began to decline. With the loss of circulation in March 1829, Freedom’s Journal was forced to cease publication.