Journal of Negro Education

Africa and the American Negro Press

Author(s): John Henrik Clarke
Source: The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Winter, 1961), pp. 64-68
Published by: Journal of Negro Education
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2294422 .
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 Trendsin NegroEducationand
Current
ShorterPapers
SectionA: Africaand theAmericanNegroPress
JoHN HENRIK CLARKE
U.S. Correspondent
on AfricanAffairs,
WorldMutual Exchange,
International
News Features

THE AMERICAN NEGROPRESS HAS 1862, undertheheading:The Futureof

BEEN MORE in itscover- Africa.Miscellaneous:By Rev. Alexander
CONSISTENT
age of Africannewsthananyothernews Crummell,
mediain the UnitedStates. This would
indicatethat its coveragehas been ade-
quate. Quite the contrary.While the
quantity of this coverage could be ac-
cepted as adequate,the quality leaves
muchto be desired. In fact, the Ameri-
can NegroPress,like theAmerican Press
in general,have missed or mishandled
the storyof emergent Africa. I believe
theemergence of Africato be thegreatest ticles:
newseventin the age in whichwe live.
In thehandlingof newsrelatingto Afri-
mul-
ca, thereseemsto be a re-occurring
tiplicityof errorsthat can be tracedto
of
one error-theinabilityor reluctance
thepresentinterpretersof Africato recog-
nize and understandAfrica's historical
past. Contrary to a stillprevailing con-
cept,the Africansdid not wait in dark-
nessfortheEuropeansto bringthelight.
What we are now witnessing is neither
the firstnor the second emergenceof
Africa. This is an elementary fact,yet
the "JohnnyCome Latelys"who have
latelydiscovered Africa,do not seem to
be awareof it.
The awarenessof Africaby the men
who built and developedthe American the Republicof Liberia.
NegroPress,goesback to thehecticand
heroicbeginning of Negrojournalism in
thiscountry.Some of thebackissuesof
theseold papersshowtheireditors'keen
awareness of Africa and its importance.
In the publication:DouglassMonthly,
edited for the Anti-Slavery Societyby
FrederickDouglass,the followingnews
item appearedin the issue of January bound,and at $1.00 per copy.
64
B.A., of Liberia,West Africa.
The undersigned proposesto issue
in twelve volumes of about300 pages,
orations, addresses, and otherpapers,
mostly prepared for Nationaland Mis-
sionary occasions in Liberia, West
Africa; and pertaining to NationalLife
and Duty.
The followingis a list of the ar-
1. The EnglishLanguagein Liberia.
2. The duty of a risingChristian
State to contribute to theWorld'swell-
being and civilization.
3. Addresson laying the corner
stone of St. Mark'sHospital,Cape Pal-
mas.
4. Dutyand relations offreecolored
men,in Americato Africa.
5. Eulogiumon the life and char-
acterof ThomasClarkson,Esq.
6. God and Nation-an anniversary
Sermon.
7. The fitnessof the Gospel for
itsownwork-aConvocational Sermon.
8. The progressand Prospectsof
9. The progress of Civilization
alongthe West Coast of Africa.
10. The Negro Race not under a
curse-from the LondonChristian Ob-
serverof August,1853.
This volumewillbe printed on good
white paper, in clear type, neatly
 CURRENT TRENDS AND EVENTS 65

As it is publishedto help repairse- Africansfor self government was being

rious lossesby firein Africa,and to ignoredthroughout mostof theworld,the
secure the educationof children,it AmericanNegroPressgave fullcoverage
will not be publisheduntil 400 sub- to thissubject.
scribersare obtained.
In the pages of thesenewspapers we
The aid of generousfriendsis re- learnedof the activitiesof outstanding
quested,at an earlyday as possibleas Africanpersonalities stubbornly keeping
the subscriberis anxious to return, alive the dreamof eventualindependence
verysoon, to his dutyin Africa. forall Africannations.
AlexanderCrommel,Missionery The SouthAfricanwriter,Sol Plaatje
311 SpringStreet and the tradeunionist,ClementKadalie
New York,N.Y. madetoursof the UnitedStatesin 1927
December12th,1861. and 1928. Now the storyof Africa's
struggles was broughtdirectlyto us by
AlexanderCrummell,founderof the two able Africans. This occasionwent
AfricanAcademy,friendand contempo- unnoticedby all, except the American
raryof Dr. EdwinW. Blyden,the great Negro Press.
WNest Indian scholarand benefactor of
West Africa,was one of the firstof our From the reportson the Pan-African
earlywritersto call attentionto Africa Congresswe learnedof otherAfricans of
throughthe AmericanNegroPress. He caliber. Dr. J. E. K. Aggreyhad lived
was the dean of the blackscholarly and in the United States for a numberof
literarygroup,in the closingquarterof years and returnedto the Gold Coast
the nineteenth century.The life of Dr. (now Ghana). The careerof his fellow
Crummell later and countryman,
firedthe imagination the HonorableCasely Hay-
redoubledthe vigorof Dr. W. E. B. Du fordhad beenwell reported in theAmer-
Bois, whose sharp and penetrating pen ican Negro Press. Again from the Pan-
burnedits own pathin Nationaland in- AfricanCongressreportsthe names of
ternational fromtheearlynineties Blaise Diagne,of FrenchWest Africa,a
affairs,
to thepresentday. member oftheChamberofDeputies,Paul
Panda of the BelgianCongo and Rene
Du Bois,inspiredby AlexanderCrum- Maran of FrenchEquatorialAfrica,be-
mell,made the subjectof Africaa burn- came identified withAfrica'sawakening.
ing issue in the AmericanNegro Press.
Library The coverage ofnewsrelating to Africa
In 1915, the Home University
out a smallbook "The Negro," was revitalizedby the AmericanNegro
brought
War.
in whichDu Bois outlinedthe program Press duringthe Italian-Ethiopian
to In thereportingof thisconflict
the Amer-
that mustbe followedin order deal
withthe wholefieldof African ican NegroPresswas fortunate in having
properly
at least two reporterswho had been well
life and history.
schooledin AfricanHistoryin particular
CarterG. Woodsoncameforward with and World Historyin general. In his
his researchesand publicationswhich dispatchesfromEthiopia,J. A. Rogers
blossomedforthintothe widestpopulari- gave an astuteanalysesto the Pittsburgh
zation of the subject. QuietlyAfrican Courier,of the war, togetherwith a
scholarslike J. E. Moorland,ArthurA. commentary on the politicalintriguesin
Schomburg, J. A. Rogersand William Europe thatled to this conflict.Later,
L. Hansberyled the fieldin gathering in a smallbook,"The Real FactsAbout
material. Ethiopia,"he digestedhis reportsand
produced themostrevealing document of
Afterthe firstWorld War, Du Bois the Italian-Ethiopian War thathas so far
again acceleratedthe AmericanNegro's appearedin print.
interest in Africaby organizing a series
of Pan-African Congresses. At a time Dr. Willis N. Huggins,a highschool
when the news about the aspirations of historyteacher,authorof a remarkable
66 THE JOURNAL OF NEGRO EDUCATION

book "Introduction to AfricanCiviliza- toryof the old Empireof Ghana and

tions,"went to Geneva and reported on brieflyappraisedthe significant events
the League of Nationsmeetings concern- leadingto the establishment of the new
ing the Italian-EthiopianWar, for the state. In otherarticlesby J. A. Rogers,
Chicago Defender. Here again the MargueriteCartwright, and the editor
AmericanNegroPressin its coverageof of theCourier,thehistory and importance
Africannews was fortunate to have on of the new state were presentedin a
the sceneof conflict
a keenobserver who manner that could be understoodby
could see throughthe subterfuge and readerswho had no priorknowledgeof
pretensesof Europeanpowersin their the subjectmatter.
franticschemesto keep their African Here again an AmericanNegronews-
colonies. BothRogersand Hugginssaw paperprovedthatit was capableof pre-
behindandbeyondtheheadlinesand fore- sentingAfricannews on a highjournal-
toldthefuturerepercussions of Ethiopia's isticlevel. Unfortunately the American
betrayal.Theirreports werea highwater NegroPresshas neverbeen consistent in
markin American Negrojournalism. maintaining thishighstandard.
While thecoverageofAfricannewsby The largestNegronewspaper published
theAmerican NegroPresswas increasing,locally,in New YorkCity,The Amster-
in the yearssince the Italian-Ethiopiandam News, did not do as well as the
War, the caliberof this coveragewas Courierin its Ghana Independence Sup-
sadlydeclining.Today,mostofthenews plement,lackingthe experienced writers
about Africathat appearsin the Negro on AfricathatthePittsburgh Courierhas
Press,consistsof pressreleasehandouts nearlyalwayshad. Their writerpicked
from the various colonial Informationat and wroteabout the subject,without
Centers, re-writtennews items from showingany real understanding of it.
whitenewspapers, and an occasionalar- His contribution lost my interestwhen
ticleor groupof articlesby a nonjourna- he digressedin his articlein orderto
listtraveler,
recentlyreturned froma trip explainhow a Ghanaianmale persuades
to Africa. Verylittleon the scene and a Ghanaianfemaleto say
behind the scene coverageof African ancientand obviousquestion. "yes"to that
newsis beingdone. The fewexceptions
I will mentionlater. The flurry of interestin Africannews
The coverageof Africannews by the continued somewhat abated. Kwame
AmericanNegro Press was accelerated Nkrumah,PrimeMinisterof Ghana,be-
whentheriseofindependence movementscamea nationalheroto theAmerican Ne-
in Africabecameinternational news.This groes,who were presently veryshortof
accelerationreachedsome kind of cere- heroes. Now he has a place in theright
moniousplateautheweektheGold Coast side of our heart, along-sideMartin
gained its independenceand took back LutherKing.
its ancientname,Ghana. The occasion The Pittsburgh Couriercontinuedto
was wellobserved by theAmerican Negro lead all otherNegro newspapersin its
Press. Most of the majorNegropapers coverageof Africannews,particularly in
publishedspecial supplements, saluting reporting thenewsas it relatesto African
the new stateof Ghana. history.
For manyyearsthe Pittsburgh Courier FromSeptember 7, 1957 to March8,
has been ahead of all otherNegronews- 1958, the Courierpublisheda twenty-
papers in its coverageof news relating seven week seriesof articlesunder the
to Africa. Their special supplement of title: "Famous AfricanChiefs." This
theoccasionof Ghana'sindependence was was the longestseriesof thisnatureever
the mostintelligentlyeditedof the many to appearin an AmericanNegro news-
that were published. In an article, paper. This seriesof articlesweredrawn
"Ghana. . . The Empirein the Sudan," froma completedbook: "The Lives of
GeorgeS. Schuylerwrotea capsulehis- GreatAfricanChiefs." The book con-
 CURRENT TRENDS AND EVENTS 67

sists of twenty-one shortbiographiesof and my eyes saw an entirelydifferent

outstanding AfricanChiefs whose lives picture. There is much to admirein
and activities have influencedthe direc- Frenchcolonialadministration and much
tion of Africanhistoryin the yearsbe- to abhor; and snow is figurately and
tweenthe earlypartof the 18thcentury literally whiterthananything I saw.
to the middleof the 20th century.
Anothermajorweaknessof the Ameri-
Now permitme to digresslongenough can NegroPressin its coverageof Afri-
to makeone thingclear:commendable as can news is the lack of a dynamicap-
the Pittsburgh Couriermaybe, I do not proachin presenting the Africanstory.
meanto implythatitscoverage ofAfrican Indeed,theyviewwithalarmas the un-
news is adequate. There is no really predictableAfricansmove rapidlyfrom
adequatecoverage ofAfricannewsby any one stageof transition to another. This
newspaperin this country. alarm should be convertedinto a new
and dynamicjournalism thatwill present
In the November16, 1957 issue of thestoryof emergent Africain a manner
the CourieranotherimpressiveSpecial that will summonboth attentionand
Supplement was publishedon Africa.All respect.
the materialforthis supplement, except
an article,"Africa'sPeacefulRevolution" Firstthe standardsittersof the Amer-
by GeorgeS. Schuyler, was preparedby ican Negro Press will have to learn
the FrenchPressand Information Service whatmakesa goodAfricanstory. New
here in New York City. This supple- and moreinteresting waysmustbe found
mentwas informative in spite of being to tell the Africanstory,which indeed
completely pro-French.Afterreadingthis is the storyof thenew age of man.
one-sided recitationon the "achievement" A case in point: Last year Tshekedi
of the Frenchin Africa,an uninformedKhama,son of thegreatBechuanaChief
person could easily conclude that the of thesamenamedied in Londonwhere
Fenchimperialists wereangelswho came he had goneformedicaltreatment.The
to Africato bringmilk and honey. A name TshekediKhama has been in the
well informedpersoncould easily con- news at regularintervalsformorethan
clude that thiswas not the case. The twenty-five years. In additionto being
majorweaknessof the AmericanNegro the son of one of the greatest men born
Pressin its coverageof Africannews is in SouthernAfrica,TshekediKhamawas
plainlyshownin the publication of this an able and defiantAfricanleaderwho
supplement.All toooften,newsrelating lived under Britishrule withoutever
to Africais publishedwithoutquestion, reallyacceptingit.
examination or analysis.
In 1933 TshekediKhama tried and
In May 1958 the pro-French leaning punisheda misbehaving Englishmanfor
of the Pittsburgh Courierwas continued molesting someBechuanagirls. The in-
in a moredirectway.GeorgeS. Schuyler, cidentmadeheadlinesaroundthe world.
New Yorkeditorof the Couriermade a The thought of a whiteman beingtried
tourthrough theFrenchcoloniesin West and punishedby an African, in an Afri-
Africaand wrotea series of revealing can court,shookthe thenprevailing co-
articles,titled:"In Brightest
Africa." To lonial structure.Tshekedi'stribe,the
me the articlesrevealed among other Bamangwata, and othersin Bechuanaland,
things:The Frenchwere obviouslypay- were on the brinkof revolution.The
ing Mr. Schuyler'straveling bill and he Britishmuddledthroughthis crisisby
was obviouslyseeingwhat theywanted slappingTshekedi'swristlightly and care-
him to see. fully. Their reprimand was tantamount
Once more, French imperialismwas to a retreat.
washed whiterthan snow. I traveled Afterthe passingof thiscrisis,Tshe-
throughsome of the same colonieslast kedi Khama resumedhis responsibilities
summer,payingmy own travelingbill, as ParamountChief of the Bamangwata
68 THE JOURNAL OF NEGRO EDUCATION

in the
Tribe of Bechuanaland-following gent African and the status of the
father. In
of his distinguished
footsteps peopleof Africandescentin theWestern
theyearsthatfollowed,he developedinto World.
one of the most able tribalrulersin
all Africa. When he objectedto his Admittedly, the AmericanNegroPress
to an
nephew's,SeretseKhama's,marriage in its coverageof Africannews have
English girl, he was back in trouble been moreconsistent and thorough than
again,and back in the headlines. any othernews media in the United
States-all the more reason why their
The deathof thisoutstandingAfrican presentinadequacycannot be excused.
wentalmostunnoticed
personality by the The Africanstoryis biggerthanall the
AmericanNegro Press. This is what I storytellers,and it is foreverchanging.
meantwhen I said: "The standardsit- No one is expectedto tell it as well as
ters of the AmericanNegro Press do it needs to be told. The manydimen-
not seem to know what makes a good sions of the Africanstoryhave made
Africanstory." In additionto needing the collectiveefforts
of all of its present
a new way to evaluate the African
story,theyalso need a new way to re- day interpretersappear like a mole hill
evaluatethe relations
betweenthe emer- thatleaves a mountain to be desired.