We have added additional issues to our online run of one of the oldest African American newspapers in North Carolina, the Star of Zion. Started in 1876 by the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church the paper is still published today. These 151 new issues date from 1926-1928.
Published out of Charlotte, the paper includes national and international news about the Church. There are articles of religious instruction and exhortation, and brief snippets of local news related to members of the Church. Those interested in the history of Livingstone College in Salisbury, which was founded by the A.M.E. Zion Church, will find many articles about the College’s growth like the one shown on the front page above.
These issues of The Star of Zion, which are now out of copyright, were selected by NCDHC staff from the collections at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. To view more North Carolina African American newspapers, visit our exhibit. You can see the entire run of the Star of Zion available on our site through this link.
Thanks to funding from the North Caroliniana Society and from the UNC Libraries IDEA grants, one of the oldest African American newspapers in North Carolina, and the longest continuously published, is now online. The Star of Zion, which is still published today, began publication in 1876 by the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church. Issues covering 1884 through 1926 are now on DigitalNC, digitized from microfilm. The earliest years we digitized are published in a few different places, including Petersburg, Va. and Salisbury, NC. Beginning in 1896, the paper moved publication to Charlotte, NC where it is still published today.
Issue highlighting the 1923 graduates of students at schools affiliated with the AME Zion Church
The topics covered by the paper are heavily focused on church activities, including reports from pastors across the country about their localities. Other topics are also covered, including commentary on political issues of the day. The papers in 1884 feature the full Republican ticket for the presidency and down, which the editors heartily supported. The issues in the later years have a wider focus on both issues of the day and church news.
An editor’s note from the November 19, 1986 issue.
A rather interesting feature that also pops up often in the paper is a presence of a real rivalry with other denomination based African American publications in the state. One particularly humorous note was posted by the editor in the November 26, 1896 issue of the paper, noting that the Africo-American Presbyterian was lauding the honorary degree Biddle University (now Johnson C. Smith University) had conferred on George White, elected to serve in the 2nd Congressional District from NC (and the last Black Congressman to serve before Jim Crow). The editors of the Star noted that Livingstone College, the AME Zion affiliated school in North Carolina, had already given one to him in May of that year. College and religious rivalries are timeless.
Note from the Editor of the Star of Zion in the November 26, 1896 issue
This blog is maintained by the staff of the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center and features the latest news and highlights from the collections at DigitalNC, an online library of primary sources from organizations across North Carolina.
