Oral history interview with Cecil B. Newman, 1971

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Name: Newman, Cecil B (Interviewee); La Brie, Henry G (Interviewer)
Title: Oral history interview with Cecil B. Newman, 1971
Other Titles: Reminiscences of Cecil B. Newman : oral history, 1971; Oral history of Cecil B. Newman, 1971
Abstract: In this 1971 interview Newman describes: his childhood, during which he was an avid reader; his informal education in journalism; and his first experience working as a journalist. Newman gives an overview of his civil rights advocacy in the Midwest (including a brewery boycott), coverage of party politics, the ethnic diversity of his newspaper staff, and his efforts to fight racially-targeted polic e brutality. Speaking about the black press more generally, Newman discusses: how it differs from the white press; its successes and failures; how its role has changed; and the future of black papers. The interview concludes with brief discussions of the possible effects of white ownership on black papers, the role of advertising in black papers, the sensationalist reputation of the black press, and the credibility of white newspapers for black readers.
Collection Name: Black Journalists oral history collection
Subjects: Journalism--Political aspects; Journalists; African Americans--Civil rights; Advertising--Newspapers; African American press; African American journalists; Minneapolis (Minn.); Saint Paul (Minn.); United States Race relations; Newman, Cecil B
Format: oral histories
Genre: Interviews
Date: 1971
Physical Description: sound files : digital preservation master, WAV files (96kHz, 24 bit); 30 pages
Note (Biographical): Cecil B. Newman (1903-1976) was a business leader and civil rights advocate. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri and moved to Minneapolis in the 1920s. He wrote for the Northwestern Review, co-founded the Twin City Herald in 1927, and published the T imely Digest. While publishing the Twin City Herald and Timely Digest, Newman was also working other jobs, including as a bellhop and Pullman porter. In 1934, he founded two papers: the Minneapolis Spokesman and Saint Paul Recorder. In 1948, he became the first black president of the Minneapolis Urban League. He owned and edited the Spokesman and Recorder until his death in 1976. The papers would be merged into the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder in 2007. In 1965, Newman received an honorary law degree from Allen University, South Carolina.
Note: Interviewed by Henry G. La Brie III on August 26, 1971.
Note (Provenance): Henry G. La Brie III Gift, 1975
Language: English
Library Location: Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
Browse Location’s Digital Content
Catalog Record: 11564219
Also In: Time-Based Media; Oral History Archives at Columbia
Persistent URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-f5tt-zp68
Related URLs: Available digital content for this interview.