From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)

Kentucky African American Newspapers

(start date: 1866) 

Below is a list of the African American newspapers in Kentucky that are mentioned within the Notable Kentucky African Americans Database. Included are the names of editors, owners, publishers; the cities where the newspapers were published; and the dates or estimated time periods the publications existed. The list does not include magazines, journals, and other periodic publications. 

For the names and locations of the many other African American newspapers in Kentucky and other states, see the Bibliographic Checklist of African American Newspapers, by B. K. Henritze; A History of the Black Press, by A. S. Pride and C. C. Wilson II; African-American newspapers and periodicals: a national bibliography, by J. P. Danky and M. E. Hady; and other sources. There is no single source that lists every African American newspaper that existed or exists in Kentucky. New titles will be discovered with continued research.

African American Newspapers in Kentucky named within the NKAA Database.

  • Advance-Courier / Unknown / Lexington / 1885-1886
  • Afro-American Mission Herald / National Baptist Convention of the United States of America, Foreign Mission Board / Louisville / 1897-1912
  • Ambassador For Christ News / Rev. Samuel Jones, publisher / Paducah / 1982-?
  • American Baptist / William H. Steward, General Association of Kentucky Baptist / Louisville / 1878-1988
  • American Citizen / Editors: Jordan C. Jackson, Jr.; Henry Scroggins / Lexington / 1874-18??
  • Baptist Herald / Rev. George W. Dupee, owner and editor / Paducah / 1873-1878
  • Baptist Monitor /James L. Allensworth, Sr., editor / Hopkinsville / 1880s
  • Bluegrass Bugle / Edward Ellsworth Underwood, editor / Frankfort / 1898-1915
  • Bluegrass Chronicle / Edgar Wallace & Nicolas Martin / Lexington / 1978-1980
  • Bowling Green Watchman / Cyrus R. McDowell, founder and editor / Bowling Green / 1887-1892
  • Bulletin / Adams Brothers [John and Cyrus Adams] / Louisville / 1879-1885
  • Cadiz Informer / Wendell H. McRidley, editor and publisher / Cadiz / 1904-1937
  • The Champion / Editors: Horace Morris and G. W. Hatton / Louisville / 1890-1893
  • Christian Index / Editors: Henry Clay Weeden and J. W. Bell, Colored Methodist Episcopal Church / 1867-1873 (Memphis, TN), 1873-1882 (Louisville, KY), 1882-1966 (Jackson, TN)
  • The Christian Soldier / R. E. Pearson, editor and D. I. Reid, printer, Convention of the Colored Christian Churches of Kentucky / Lexington / 1872-?
  • Christian Trumpet / Convention of the Colored Christian Churches of Kentucky / Lexington / 1921-?
  • Christian Worker / Samuel J. W. Spurgeon, founder and editor / Kentucky / ?-?
  • The Colored Citizen / Daniel I. Reid, founder and editor / Lexington / 1913-?
  • The Colored Citizen / Editors: Horace Morris, John H. Mason, and Marsh Woodson, Convention of Colored Men in Kentucky / Louisville / 1866-?
  • The Colored Kentuckian / Philip H. Murry and J. P. Sampson, founders / Louisville / 1867-?
  • Columbian Herald / Dr. Percy R. Peters, editor and publisher / Louisville / 1913-1927
  • Community Voice / Donald Cordray, founder and editor / Lexington / 1987-2001
  • Edmonson Star News / Denver D. Ferguson, founder and editor / Brownsville / ?-1917?
  • Falls City News / William Warley founder and editor / Louisville / 1942?-?
  • Frankfort Clarion / Clarence L. Timberlake, owner and editor / Frankfort / ?-?
  • Frankfort Tribune / Hardin Tolbert, editor and publisher / Frankfort / ?-?
  • The Herald Tribune / Editors: Charles E. Tucker, William Warley, and Huron Clark / Louisville / 1937
  • Hopkinsville Contender / Ephraim Poston, owner and publisher / Hopkinsville / ?-?
  • Hopkinsville Globe Journal / Leonard S. Grooms, religious editor / Hopkinsville / 1936-1943
  • The Indicator / Rev. W. A. Jackson / Covington / 1907?
  • Inter-State County News / James W. Wood, editor / Lexington / 1935-1940
  • Kentuckian / Horace Morris, editor / Louisville / 1870s
  • The Kentucky Club Woman: the official organ of the Kentucky State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs / Edited by Daisy M. Saffell in 1913 / Frankfort / 1900s
  • Kentucky Missionary Visitor / Paul H. Kennedy, editor / Henderson / ?-1915
  • Kentucky Reporter / Robert T. Berry and George W. Berry / Owensboro, then Louisville / 1899-1953
  • Kentucky Standard / William D. Johnson, editor / Louisville / 1898-1912
  • The Kentucky Voice / Kathy Robinson / Paducah / 1988-present
  • Key Newsjournal / Patrice Muhammad and LaMaughn Muhammad, founders and editors / Lexington / 2004-present
  • The Lexington Chronicle / Theodore "Cal" Wallace, Sr. and Family, owners, editors, and publishers / Lexington / 1960s
  • Lexington Standard / Editors: R. C. O. Benjamin; William D. Johnson; Daniel I. Reid; Henry P. Slaughter; Wade H. Carter / Lexington / 1892-1912
  • Lexington Weekly News / Edward D. Willis, Daniel I. Reid, and Rev. A. W. Davis / Lexington / 1912-?
  • The Lincoln=Grant Herald / Miss E. Beatrice Brown, editor-in-chief / January 1913 first issue - ?
  • The Light House / T. A. Lawrence, editor / Paducah / 1908-1937
  • Louisville Columbian / Editors: L. A. Morris; W. H. Parker, Dr. P. R. Peters; Jesse B. Colbert / Louisville / 1899-1917
  • Louisville Defender / Owners: Alvin Bowman, John Sengstacke, and later Frank L. Stanley, Sr. and Frank L. Stanley, Jr. / Louisville / 1933-present
  • Louisville Leader / I. Willis Cole, founder and editor / Louisville / 1917-1953
  • Louisville News / William Warley, founder and editor; Lee L. Brown, editor / Louisville / 1913-1947
  • Louisville Weekly Planet / T. F. Cassels and Nathaniel R. Harper, founder / Louisville / 1872-1875
  • Major / Phil H. Brown, editor / Hopkinsville / 1897-1904 / Authur C. Banks, co-editor / 1898
  • Masonic Herald / Editors: W. H. Mayo; Walter T. Bradley, Jr., Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, F. & A.M. of Kentucky, Inc. / Frankfort (1914-15) / 19??-?
  • Masonic and Odd Fellows' Journal / American Citizen Printing Company / Lexington / 1876-?
  • The Messenger / S. L. M. Francis / Henderson / 1907?
  • Morning News / Phil H. Brown, editor / Hopkinsville / 1903-?
  • National Chronicle / John H. Ayres, business manager / Winchester / 1891-1915
  • The Negro Citizen / Pleasant A. Nichols, owner and publisher / Paducah / ?-?
  • New South / James E. Givens, founder and editor / Louisville / 1894-1897
  • Owensboro Publishing Company / Dr. R. F. White, Dr. R. B. Bell, Dr. R. L. Washington, Gilbert Cundiff, Richard Jackson, F. L. Simmons, incorporators / Owensboro / 1913- ?
  • The Rambler / Embry, editor / Richmond / 1901- ?
  • The Reporter / John D. Magowan and Noah W. Magowan / Mt. Sterling / 1904-1915
  • Saturday News / Phil H. Brown, publisher / Hopkinsville / 1919-1922
  • The Star Weekly / Hardin Tolbert, publisher and editor / Frankfort / 1914-?
  • The Struggler / Frank Hayes, publisher / Paducah / ? -?
  • The Suspension Press / Patricia Humpheries Fann, founder, publisher, editor / Covington / 1982-1990?
  • Torchlight or Torch Light / John Edmund Wood, owner and editor / Danville, then Lexington / 1903-1929
  • Tri-weekly Informer / Editors and Owners: Lucille E. St. Clair, Alice Dunnigan, and M. S. Kimbley / Louisville / 1939
  • Visitor / Rev. Jacob Allen Ross / Lexington / 1877-?
  • Zion's Banner / Henry Clay Weeden, editor / Louisville / ?-?

Kentucky County & Region

Read about Jefferson County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Franklin County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about McCracken County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Christian County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Fayette County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Warren County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Trigg County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Edmonson County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Henderson County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Daviess County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Clark County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Montgomery County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Kenton County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.

Kentucky Place (Town or City)

Read about Louisville, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Frankfort, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Paducah, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Hopkinsville, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Lexington, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Bowling Green, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Cadiz, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Brownsville, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Henderson, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Owensboro, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Winchester, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Mt. Sterling, Kentucky in Wikipedia.
Read about Covington, Kentucky in Wikipedia.

Outside Kentucky Place Name

Item Relations

Cited in this Entry

NKAA Source: Bibliographic checklist of African American newspapers
NKAA Source: A History of the Black press
NKAA Source: African-American newspapers and periodicals: a national bibliography
NKAA Entry: Advance-Courier (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Afro-American mission herald (newspaper)
NKAA Source: American Baptist (newspaper)
NKAA Source: American citizen (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Baptist herald (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Baptist monitor (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Bluegrass bugle (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Bluegrass chronicle (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Bowling Green watchman (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Bulletin (Louisville, KY) (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Cadiz informer (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Champion (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Christian index (periodical)
NKAA Source: The Christian soldier (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Christian trumpet (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Christian worker (periodical)
NKAA Source: The Colored citizen (newspaper) (Lexington, KY)
NKAA Source: The Colored citizen (newspaper) (Louisville, KY)
NKAA Source: The Colored Kentuckian (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Columbian herald (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Community voice (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Edmonson star news (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Frankfort clarion (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Frankfort tribune (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Herald tribune (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Hopkinsville contender (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Hopkinsville globe journal (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Inter-state county news (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Kentuckian (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Kentucky clubwoman: the official organ of the Kentucky State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. (newspaper/periodical)
NKAA Source: Kentucky missionary visitor (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Kentucky reporter (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Kentucky standard (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Kentucky voice (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Key newsjournal (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Lexington chronicle (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Lexington standard (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Lexington weekly news (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Light house (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Columbian [Louisville Columbian] (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Louisville defender (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Louisville leader (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Louisville news (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Louisville weekly planet (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Major (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Masonic herald (newspaper)
NKAA Entry: Masonic and Odd Fellows' Journal, Lexington, KY
NKAA Source: Morning news (newspaper)
NKAA Source: National chronicle (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Negro citizen (newspaper)
NKAA Source: New South (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Reporter (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Saturday news (newspaper)
NKAA Source: The Star (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Torch light (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Tri-weekly informer (newspaper)
NKAA Source: Zions banner (newspaper / periodical)
NKAA Source: The Lincoln=Grant herald (newspaper)
NKAA Entry: Ross, Jacob Allen (aka J. Allen Ross)

Related Entries Citing this Entry

NKAA Entry: Black Migration from England to Kentucky
NKAA Entry: Jackson, William Montgomery
NKAA Entry: Industrial Union Mission School for Colored Orphans in Harrodsburg, KY

Cite This NKAA Entry:

“Kentucky African American Newspapers,” Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, accessed May 13, 2024, https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/3084.

Last modified: 2023-03-31 17:27:16