Shearon Roberts

This project will produce a book manuscript and a digital exhibit on the history, legacy, and impact of the New Orleans Black Press as they mark a century and half-a-century anniversaries in 2025 and 2026. The book and exhibit will chronicle the role the Black Press in New Orleans has played in documenting major civil rights struggles in the Deep South. It will also highlight the hidden figures and histories chronicled in the Black Press that include unsung moments and individuals that shaped the outcomes of major events affecting African American communities in New Orleans and across the nation. The project draws on the author's work over a decade with the Black Press in New Orleans and in-depth interviews with the African American families who have been the stalwarts of the Black Press.