African American Newspapers – The UncommonWealth

Newly-Available Archival Accessions, April 1-June 30, 2024

The Library of Virginia maintains the most comprehensive collection of information about Virginia’s history, culture, and government. We hold more than 200 million manuscript items,…

Trenton HizerSeptember 6, 2024

Newspapers

Breaking News for Virginia Chronicle!

Several new newspapers were added to Virginia Chronicle in May, bringing the newspaper page count to over 4.3 million! Recent additions include community weeklies, additional…

Kelley EwingJuly 31, 2024

Newspapers

Banker, Editor, Activist, Woman: Maggie Walker’s St. Luke Herald

Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of blog posts regarding Virginia female newspaper editors by our Transforming the Future of Libraries and…

Elena CarioOctober 23, 2023

Digital Projects Newspapers

New Titles on Virginia Chronicle

Virginia Chronicle, the Library of Virginia’s freely accessible digital newspaper database, has recently added a notable assortment of new titles, including school newspapers, labor newspapers,…

Kelley EwingFebruary 8, 2023

Digital Projects Newspapers

Newspaper Conversations in Charles City County

In 1966, Charles City County was the kind of place that big city newspapers found easy to overlook. Entirely rural, with an estimated population of…

Angela LehmanFebruary 1, 2023

Newspapers

Devoted to the Industrial Classes of the South: The Southern Workman on Virginia Chronicle

Along with a list of many new newspapers, a nearly complete run of the Southern Workman, a monthly published from 1872-1939 by the Hampton Normal…

Kelley EwingMarch 25, 2022

Digital Projects Newspapers

Virginia Chronicle Surpasses Two Million Pages!

The newspaper page count has officially surpassed two million on Virginia Chronicle! An array of new titles have been added to the Library’s growing digital…

Kelley EwingDecember 1, 2021

Education & Programming The Stacks Virginia Authors

Placing Pupils on Common Ground

Charlene Butts Ligon’s book Fearless: How a Poor Virginia seamstress took on Jim Crow, beat the poll tax and changed her city forever focuses on…

Library of VirginiaOctober 22, 2021

Archives Newspapers

“Attractions and Amusements of Every Kind Will Be the Order of Things”: The History of the Virginia Colored State Fair

In late October 1910, thanks to the efforts of some of Richmond’s most prominent Black leaders, the “Colored State Fair” was held at the Virginia…

Kelley EwingOctober 1, 2021

Newspapers Public Libraries

Celebrating Juneteenth in 1890 and 2021

IIn 2020, Governor Ralph Northam issued an executive order proclaiming Juneteenth as a Virginia state holiday. Later that year, the General Assembly unanimously voted in…

Library of VirginiaJune 14, 2021

Newspapers

Spanning (and Scanning) the Commonwealth: New to Virginia Chronicle

Virginia Chronicle, the Library of Virginia’s digital newspaper database, has added an impressive array of new titles in recent months.Formed by a merger of the…

Kelley EwingMarch 22, 2021

Newspapers

“A condition which is inevitable”: F. E. Alexander and the Struggle for Desegregation

In 1941, Fleming Emory Alexander, printer, journalist, minister, and civic leader, began publishing the Roanoke Tribune, an African American newspaper still in publication today. Issues…

Kelley EwingFebruary 26, 2020

Virginia Authors

Publishing Anne Spencer: The Crisis, February 1920

One hundred years ago, the first published work of Virginia poet, librarian, and activist Anne Spencer appeared in the February 1920 issue of The Crisis.…

Rebecca SchneiderFebruary 19, 2020

Newspapers

Reading Obituaries as Historical Texts

On February 19, 1887, the Afro-American Churchman published an obituary for Reverend Samuel V. Berry. From this entry, we learn how Rev. Berry received his…

Kim BowmanSeptember 5, 2018

Newspapers

Researching African American Newspapers

The Virginia Newspaper Project loves promoting the Virginia Chronicle newspaper database, but if you need to expand your research from Virginia to other U.S. states,…

Errol SomayFebruary 22, 2017