Do these statements ring a bell? Do they echo the same statements being bandied about this election year? It appears that for at least the past 56 years, since the first televised presidential debate in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, the American public has not found much confidence in what they were seeing. So if you’re feeling downhearted about the slinging happening in the 2016 election, perusing our newspaper collection will let you know that it is nothing new. One thing we can all probably agree on is the editorial comment from the October 15, 1960 issue of The Carolina Times from Durham as early voting starts up today in North Carolina.
“Talk about the election is great. But a vote in the election is even better”
One of the more frequently used newspapers on our site is The Carolina Times, a weekly newspaper from Durham. We recently added more issues, covering the years 1973-1982.
As mentioned in earlier posts, The Carolina Times was edited and published by Louis Austin. The paper covered and addressed issues most pressing to the African American community in Durham, with local news as well as national coverage.
This title was suggested for digitization by the Durham County Library. You can view other items digitized for the Library on DigitalNC, and also check out their own rich online collections.
The Carolina Times, a weekly paper based in Durham, was edited and published throughout this period by Louis Austin. The paper covered and addressed the African American community in Durham and throughout the state. Austin was a tireless crusader for racial equality and The Carolina Times was a forceful advocate for civil rights. The paper was an important voice for African Americans who were too often either misrepresented or ignored in other media outlets.
These issues were digitized and published at the suggestion of the Durham County Library.
Early issues of The Carolina Times, from 1937 through 1950, are now available on DigitalNC.org. The Carolina Times, edited by Louis Austin from 1927 to 1971, is a paper of national significance. Targeted primarily to the African American community in Durham, the Times covered the long struggle for equal rights for all Americans. The newspaper’s motto is “The Truth Unbridled,” an accurate description of Austin’s honest and forthright depiction of racial injustice in North Carolina and beyond.
The Carolina Times was digitized from microfilm held by the Durham County Library. The North Carolina Collection at the Durham County Library documents the history of our state, with a special emphasis on Durham.
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.
