Title
Honoring and celebrating The Philadelphia Tribune, an advocate and trailblazer for the African American community, on the occasion of its 140-year anniversary as the oldest, continuously published newspaper, owned and operated by African Americans.
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WHEREAS, Christopher James Perry, Sr., founder of The Tribune, was born in Baltimore, MD in 1856 and, upon graduating from high school, relocated to Philadelphia. Although Perry's father wanted him to study law, Perry refused, stating" For my people to make progress, they must have a newspaper through which they can speak against injustice"; and
WHEREAS, After 11 years of reporting for a local daily newspaper while attending night school, Perry's dream of establishing a newspaper came to fruition when he launched The Tribune; and
WHEREAS, At the age of 28, Perry published the first edition of a one-page, one man operation titled Tribune Weekly at 725 Sansom Street; and
WHEREAS, During the Post-Reconstruction migration, The Tribune committed itself to improving the standard of living for African Americans in Philadelphia by covering job openings, civic affairs, social events, and church news; and
WHEREAS, From its inception until his death, Perry wrote about the challenges faced by African Americans, particularly those in Philadelphia, and worked to give them a platform to address the issues that affected their daily lives; and
WHEREAS, Today, The Philadelphia Tribune, stands as America's oldest continuously published newspaper owned and operated by African Americans; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, The Tribune has championed issues such as desegregation, equality, equal access to City employment and contracting opportunities, and increasing the representation of African-American judges appointed to Philadelphia Municipal Court; and
WHEREAS, The Tribune has grown from a one-page, one man operation 140 years ago to a newspaper that is now published five days a week and maintains a website presence. ...
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