Detroit Plaindealer (1883–1894) also known as simply The Plaindealer, was an American newspaper that served the Black community and was published in Detroit.[1] Since 2020, the former newspaper publishing building has a historical marker at 1114 Washington Boulevard in the Capitol Park district in Detroit.[1]

Detroit Plaindealer
Detroit Plaindealer newspaper founders
Formatbroadsheet
Founder(s)Benjamin Pelham,
Robert Pelham Jr.,
Walter H. Stowers,
William H. Anderson
Staff writersMeta E. Pelham
Active dates1883–1894
HeadquartersDetroit, Michigan, U.S.
OCLC number9975654

History

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The newspaper was founded by brothers Benjamin Pelham and Robert Pelham Jr., Walter H. Stowers, and William H. Anderson; and was advertised as "Detroit’s first Afro-American newspaper".[1][2][3] Its news reporting included abolitionist activities. It served the African American communities throughout the midwest.[2][4] It opened doors for expanding and connecting African American businesspeople, politicians, government service workers and civil rights leaders within the Detroit community.[2] Meta E. Pelham worked as a reporter for the newspaper.[5] In 1892, the newspaper was published in both Detroit and in Cincinnati, Ohio.[6]

The Detroit Plaindealer closed in 1894 after financial struggles.[1] The Afro-American Press and Its Editors (1891) book includes a profile on the newspaper and its employees.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Wright, Kyla L. (October 16, 2020). "Detroit's first Black newspaper receives overdue historical marker". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Jordan, Jamon (February 21, 2022). "The Black Press Matters". The Michigan Chronicle. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  3. ^ Gatewood, Willard B. (1990). Aristocrats of Color: the Black Elite 1880-1920 (p). University of Arkansas Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-61075-025-7.
  4. ^ Ashlee, Laura R. (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers. University of Michigan Press. p. 463. ISBN 978-0-472-03066-8.
  5. ^ Penn, Irvine Garland (1891). The Afro-American Press and Its Editors. Willey & Company. pp. 158–164, 419. ISBN 978-0-598-58268-3.
  6. ^ "The plaindealer. [online resource] (Detroit, Mich.) 1883–1895". Chronicling America. Library of Congress.
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42°19′56″N 83°03′02″W / 42.332328°N 83.050598°W / 42.332328; -83.050598