REMEMBERING FREEDOM’S JOURNAL: CHERISHING AND CHALLENGING THE BLACK PRESS Los Angeles Sentinel, 032609, p. A7 DR. MAULANA KARENGA
In the midst of the mournful discourse act for the wellbeing of the people and concerning the steady disintegration of big humankind. city and regional dailies and the continuing On March 16, 1827, when Samuel collapse of journalism as a professional, Cornish and John Russwurm established the principled and promising practice, we are first African American paper in the U.S., compelled to ask ourselves what this means, these views and values were the motivating not only for society, but also for our force for their actions. In their inaugural community. This is clearly a concern for editorial written in the midst of the those who rightfully hold that a free and Holocaust of enslavement, they laid out the functioning press is central to democracy, to reasons for their establishing the paper the quality of civic life, to independent which was instructively called Freedom’s investigations of things and to holding Journal. These same principles and practices officials accountable. But for us, especially inform the best of our media efforts today, with regard to the Black press, it is also a and offer guidelines for good and useful voice for the vulnerable and an advocate for print and electronic media from newspapers a just and good society and for the struggle and radio to TV and internet. These that seeks to bring it into being. And it is principles have also been reflected in clearly key to the ability of people to get various ways by a long list of major information needed and necessary to make newspapers in our history: the Chicago informed choices. As Ida B. Wells, one of Defender, Baltimore AfroAmerican, New our most distinguished activistjournalists York Amsterdam News, Pittsburg Courier, stated, “the people must know before they Atlanta Daily World, Los Angeles Sentinel, can act, and there is no educator to compare California Eagle, Norfolk Journal and with the press”. Guide, Philadelphia Tribune, Cleveland The history of providing the people Call and Post and Muhammad Speaks. with accurate and useful knowledge is tied The first principle that Cornish and to the process of education and is linked Russwurm put forth is the principle of self with two major ethical principles: truth and determination. They state at the outset in the justice, which in practice obligates and urges first edition of Freedom’s Journal: “We us to seek and speak truth, and to do and wish to plead our own cause. Too long have demand justice. Indeed, in ancient Egypt, others spoken for us. Too long has the truth and justice are linked conceptually and publick been deceived by misrepresentations linguistically. For the ancient Egyptian word in things which concern us dearly . . . .” Maat, means both truth and justice, as well Thus, they affirmed the right and as rightness in its many forms. Our ancestors responsibility of a people to speak for itself, knew that without truth, justice is denied and to make its own case and define and without justice truth is deformed. In a word, advocate its own cause. In a word, they without both, each suffers and is suppressed. asserted the right and responsibility of self Thus, the ancestors taught in the sacred determination as essential to any people or Husia: Speak truth, do justice, and always to any paper or other medium, if it claims to 2 REMEMBERING FREEDOM’S JOURNAL: CHERISHING AND CHALLENGING THE BLACK PRESS Los Angeles Sentinel, 032609, p. A7 DR. MAULANA KARENGA be free, worthy of respect and in the interest also emphasize the importance of Africans of its people. exercising the right to vote and practicing an Secondly, the publishers and editors independent politics. They argue “the also spoke of the need to provide “useful expediency of (Blacks’) using their elective knowledge to the people”. This is what can franchise; and of making an independent use be also called real and relevant knowledge, of the same”. For they say, “We wish them knowledge that enhances a person’s and a not to become the tools of party”. people’s ability to think critically, to make Fourthly, the publishers and editors of informed decisions and to act in their own Freedom’s Journal stress the need for what interest and in the larger interest of they call “useful knowledge” with regard to humankind. They assert that they will speak Africa. They say: “Useful knowledge of to Black youth urging them to “enlarge their every kind, and every thing that relates to stock of useful knowledge”, and also Africa, shall find a ready admission into our “stimulate them to higher attainments in columns; . . . .” This is clearly as urgent now science”, as well as knowledge of the world as then and serves as a measure of both the as a whole. Here Cornish and Russwurm quality and commitment of the Black press. stress the importance of academic education But it is also important to note that and the need for conscious and committed Freedom’s Journal was also concerned media to emphasize its indispensable role especially with Haiti also and with African given that “Education (is) an object of the communities in Canada and elsewhere and highest importance to the welfare of wrote on them extensively. society”. But they go on to suggest the paper Finally, Freedom’s Journal urged itself and thus all media are forums and African Americans to support it and by forms of education and must maintain the extension independent Black papers and highest standards in their education of the media in the vital work they are doing, by people and country. “communications and . . . by their The third principle and practice of real subscriptions, as our labour is one of and relevant journalism which Cornish and common cause, and worthy of their Russwurm advanced is social advocacy, consideration and support”. Thus, they speaking on behalf of Black people, asked for support thru subscriptions and defending their rights, especially to be free, submissions of articles and opinions that equal and enjoy justice. They say: “The civil would build a mutually beneficial and rights of a people being of the greatest necessary relationship between the paper value; it shall ever be our duty to vindicate and the people. For they realized then, as we our brethren when oppressed and to lay the do now, that the call of a people for a free case before the publick . . . .” It is advocacy and relevant press carries with it a call for not only for the right to freedom of the the people to make the commitment and enslaved Africans, but also the civil rights of create the conditions to support and sustain the free Africans. Cornish and Russwurm that press.
Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor of Africana Studies, California State UniversityLong Beach, Chair of The Organization Us, Creator of Kwanzaa, and author of Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle: African American, PanAfrican and Global Issues, [www.MaulanaKarenga.org; www.UsOrganization.org and www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org].