In a segregated society in which minority writers and artists could find few ways to reach an audience, journalism was a means of dispersing information to many U.S. communities. The original essays in this volume show how marginalized voices attempted to be heard in the circles of debate that existed in their day. The Black Press progresses chronologically from abolitionist newspapers to the impact and implications of the Internet to reveal how the black press's content and its very form changed with evolving historical and cultural conditions in America. The essays in this work address the production, distribution, regulation, and reception of black journalism, illustrating a more textured public discourse, one that exchanges ideas not just within the black community, but also within the nation at large. The contributors demonstrate that African American journalists redefined class, restaged race and nationhood, and reset the terms of public conversation, providing a fuller understanding of the varied cultural battles fought throughout our country's history.