March 16th is Black Press Day, an annual observance of the publication of the first Black-owned newspaper in the United States. The “Freedom’s Journal” in New York City was first published on this day in 1827. John Brown Russwurm and Samuel Eli Cornish started the paper to not only share the news for New York’s Black community, but also campaigned to abolish slavery in the South and raise awareness and fight against racial discrimination in the North. The first Black-owned newspaper in California was the “Mirror of the Times” in San Francisco. The first edition was published on October 31, 1856 and the first editors were Mifflin W. Gibbs and Jonas H. Townsend. The idea for the newspaper grew out of ideas and concerns expressed at what was called the California Colored Citizens’ State Convention, was held at the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church at 715 Seventh Street in Sacramento in November 1855. This was the first formal convention held in California for the advocation of ci...