100 Years Of Telling Our Own Stories

For greater than a century, Black media has been the heartbeat of Black storytelling in America. Long earlier than headlines, broadcasts, or timelines existed, our tales lived by means of oral custom. History was handed from elders to kids in residing rooms, church buildings, barbershops, and group gatherings. These spoken narratives preserved tradition, survival, and resistance at a time when Black voices had been excluded from the mainstream file.

Early 1900s–Nineteen Thirties: The Rise of the Black Press
As the twentieth century started, Black-owned newspapers grew to become a lifeline. Publications like The Chicago Defender and The Baltimore Afro-American documented segregation, lynchings, and political injustice whereas additionally celebrating Black success. These papers knowledgeable, organized, and empowered readers, enjoying a serious function in the course of the Great Migration and the struggle for civil rights.

Forties–Nineteen Sixties: Black Radio Takes the Mic
Radio remodeled how Black communities stayed related. Black radio stations introduced music, information, religion, and political dialog straight into houses. During the Civil Rights Movement, radio grew to become a vital device for sharing info rapidly and authentically, unfiltered by white-controlled media.

Eighties–Nineteen Nineties: Ownership and Expansion
The late twentieth century marked a serious shift in Black media possession. Urban One, previously Radio One, grew into one of many largest Black-owned media firms within the nation, constructing a robust community of radio stations and digital platforms centered on Black voices and communities. Television additionally expanded illustration, most notably with Black Entertainment Television, based by Robert L. Johnson, which positioned Black tradition on the forefront of leisure and information.

2000s: The Digital Shift
Blogs and impartial web sites allowed Black writers and journalists to bypass conventional gatekeepers. Storytelling grew to become quicker, extra private, and extra numerous, opening the door for brand spanking new views and voices.

2010s: Podcasts and Social Media Movements
Podcasts revived long-form dialog, whereas social media turned on a regular basis folks into storytellers and reporters. Digital platforms amplified actions, challenged misinformation, and reshaped cultural narratives in actual time.

2020s–Present: A Multi-Platform Future
Today, Black media lives all over the place without delay: radio, tv, podcasts, blogs, and social feeds. Legacy establishments and impartial creators coexist, carrying ahead a century-long mission.

From oral custom to fashionable information, airwaves and digital timelines, Black media stays a robust act of possession. One hundred years in, telling our personal tales isn’t just historical past. It is legacy, resistance, and future-building in actual time.