The Norfolk Journal & Guide The Norfolk Journal & Guide Access information: Access on and off campus. Description: UNDER THE LEADERSHIP of P.B. Young, the “Dean of the Negro Press,” The Norfolk Journal and Guide became one of the best researched and written newspapers of its era, with a circulation of more than 80,000 by the 1940s. It argued against restrictive covenants, rallied against lynching, encouraged blacks to vote, supported improvements to city streets and water systems, and more. In contrast to other black newspapers, such as the Chicago Defender (with which The Norfolk Journal and Guide is cross searchable), this newspaper campaigned against The Great Migration of Southern laborers to the North. It was one of only a few black newspapers to provide on-the-scene coverage of the 1930s Scottsboro trial, and helped raise legal funds for the nine young black defendants. This Southern-based newspaper had to use a factual, unemotional tone in expressing opinions on social injustice. This approach attracted advertising from local and national white-owned businesses —such as Goodrich, Pillsbury, and Ford — that other black newspapers didn’t receive. Coverage: 1921-2003. This article was published on 2024-08-21
