6. The oldest Black-oriented publication in the world emerged in 1910
W. E. B. du Bois founded The Crisis in association with several members of the newly formed NAACP, its first issue appearing in November, 1910. It has been printed continually ever since. In the initial issue Du Bois, who served as its editor, wrote “…its editorial page will stand for the rights of man, irrespective of color or race, for the highest ideals of American democracy, and for reasonable but earnest attempts to gain these rights and realize these ideals”. Officially a publication of the NAACP and thus a presentation of the organization’s policies, Du Bois later wrote, “I determine to make the opinion of The Crisis a personal opinion” though he added that it was in “general agreement” with the organization.
Du Bois used The Crisis to present his personal views and forward the causes and institutions he supported. Among them were Black universities and colleges, as well as the study of Black history. Among the schools, he reported on within the magazine was Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute, though he continued to denounce the policies of its founder. In 1934, after a series of policy disputes between Du Bois and the NAACP, he stepped down as editor of The Crisis. At the time, with the Great Depression restricting disposable income, circulation had dropped to a tenth of what it had been at its peak under Du Bois. Today, The Crisis maintains an online presence as well as a quarterly journal, both of which include the motto “Speaking Truth to Power Since 1910”.