Founded in 1892 by John H. Murphy Sr., a former slave who attained the rank of sergeant fighting for the Union in the Civil War, the Afro-American newspaper has long been a powerful voice for racial justice.
The Baltimore-based paper gained a national audience by editorializing against segregation in municipal and state government during the 1920s. Longtime editor Carl Murphy also provided valuable support to the NAACP’s landmark school integration cases during the 1950s. More than a century after its first publication, the Afro-American remains one of the most influential Black-owned newspapers in the country. For more information on the Afro-American, please visit the BMI’s Print Shop exhibition.
William AL Lewis Sr.
Afro employees
Watch this YouTube video
to learn more about The Afro, and its founder, John Murphy.
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BMI Audio Guide: The Afro
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