# List of African American newspapers in Wisconsin

This is a list of African American newspapers that have been published in Wisconsin. It includes both current and historical newspapers.
The total number of African Americans in Wisconsin before 1900 was less than 1,000, and the growth of Wisconsin's African American newspapers was commensurately delayed.
The first such newspaper in Wisconsin is generally considered the Wisconsin Afro-American, which George A. Brown (son of Bishop John Mifflin Brown) and Thomas H. Jones launched in 1892. The status of the Wisconsin Afro-American as a genuine African American newspaper has been disputed, however. In that case, the first such paper in Wisconsin would be the Wisconsin Weekly Advocate, launched in 1898.
The first newspaper published by an African American in Wisconsin was launched several years before either: George Edwin Taylor published the Wisconsin Labor Advocate for workers of all races from 1886 to 1887.
Notable African American newspapers in Wisconsin today include The Madison Times, The Milwaukee Courier, The Milwaukee Times, and The Milwaukee Community Journal.

## Newspapers

| City | Title | Beginning | End | Frequency | Call numbers | Remarks |
| Beloit | Beloit Chronicle | 1981 | 1982 | Irregular | LCCN sn85041090 OCLC 12339834 | Billed as "Beloit's only minority newspaper." Also served nearby Rockford, Illinois. Published by Eugene Relerford. |
| Beloit | Soul City Courier | 1976 | ? | Biweekly | ISSN 2639-3506, 2639-3492 LCCN 2014254330, sn85041151 OCLC 664611394, 12545129 | Extant through at least 1977. |
| Gratiot | The Gratiot Reporter | 1903 | 1915 | Weekly | ISSN 2574-7843 LCCN sn84024844 OCLC 11383996 | |
| Green Bay | Green Bay Spectator | 1851 | 1852 | Weekly | ISSN 2574-7835 LCCN sn84025597 OCLC 11424007 | |
| La Crosse | Wisconsin Labor Advocate | 1886 | 1888 | Weekly | ISSN 2640-5830 LCCN 2013254378, 2017235084 OCLC 60494645, 10645340 | Free online archive |
| Madison | Mid-West Observer | 1980 | 1980? | Monthly newspaper | OCLC 12068465 | Published by Glenn E. Sturgis. |
| Madison | The Madison Sun | 1966 | 1966 | Twice monthly | LCCN sn84025849 OCLC 10437852 | Published by Lawrence Saunders. |
| Madison | The Madison Times | 1990 | current | Weekly | LCCN sn89080089 OCLC 22615221 | Official site Published and edited by Betty Franklin Hammonds. |
| Madison | Wisconsin Free Press | 1984 | ? | Twice monthly or biweekly | LCCN 2013254377 OCLC 850973708, 16969188 | Sold to The Milwaukee Times in 1990, folded into The Madison Times. |
| Madison | The Wisconsin Weekly Blade | 1916 | 1925 or 1922 | Weekly | LCCN sn84025842 OCLC 10462416 | First Black newspaper in Madison. Founder J. Anthony Josey recognized posthumously in 1998. Free online archive |
| Milwaukee | The Beacon | 1953 | 1953 | Weekly | OCLC 35979157 | Published by Lawrence Saunders. Continued as The Rocket. |
| Milwaukee / Beloit | Chronicle / Beloit Chronicle | 1981 | | Irregular | LCCN sn85041090, sn85041091 OCLC 12339834, 12339909 | |
| Milwaukee | The Communicator News | 1984 | | Weekly | LCCN sn88086016 OCLC 17448535 | |
| Milwaukee | The Milwaukee Community Journal | 1975 | current | Twice weekly or weekly | LCCN sn84025860 OCLC 8124770 | Official site Published by Patricia O'Flynn Thomas. |
| Milwaukee | The Milwaukee Community Journal: Daily City Edition | 1987 | 1989 | Daily (except weekends and holidays) | OCLC 25644557 | Published by Patricia O'Flynn Thomas. |
| Milwaukee | Milwaukee Courier | 1964 | current | Weekly | ISSN 0026-4350 LCCN sn78005245 OCLC 4166496 | Official site |
| Milwaukee | The Milwaukee Defender | 1956 or 1957 | 1960 | Weekly | LCCN 2013254319, sn89080118 OCLC 664611321, 26998090 | Published by Mary Ellen Shadd. Milwaukee affiliate of the Chicago Defender. Attacked and "literally run out of town" by Milwaukee's white business community in retaliation for its militant reporting. |
| Milwaukee | The Milwaukee Gazette | 1960 | 1961 | Weekly | LCCN sn84025848 OCLC 10437772 | "A nonpartisan paper for all the people." Published by LeRoy G. White |
| Milwaukee | The Milwaukee Globe | 1945 or 1948 | 1949 | Weekly | LCCN sn84025847 OCLC 10435818 | Edited by L. J. Saunders. |
| Milwaukee | National Defender And Sun | 1905 | 1923 | Weekly | LCCN sn83025598 OCLC 9647337 | Moved to Gary, Indiana in 1910s. |
| Milwaukee | The Northwest 76er / MCJ Northwest 76er | 1989? or 1990 | ? | Weekly | LCCN sn89080070 OCLC 22444064 | Published by Patricia O'Flynn Thomas. Subsidiary of Milwaukee Community Journal |
| Milwaukee | The Northwestern Recorder | 1892 | 1893 | Monthly newspaper, weekly from August 1892 to January 1893 | LCCN sn84025844, sn84025845 OCLC 10435733, 2776073, 10435741, 2771151 | Succeeded by Wisconsin Afro-American. |
| Milwaukee | Racine Courier / Racine Star (1971–1972) / Racine Star News (1970–1971) / Racine Star Times (1972–1976) | 1970 or 1976 | 1992 | Monthly or weekly | LCCN 2014254307, sn84025858, sn84025859, sn84025850, sn84025851 OCLC 10470013, 10469986, 10462475 | Published in Milwaukee but serving the Racine-Kenosha area. "A division of the Racine Star Times, Inc." |
| Milwaukee | The Rocket | 1953 | 1953 | Weekly | OCLC 35979236 | |
| Milwaukee | The Milwaukee Sepian | 1951 | 1951 | Weekly | LCCN sn84025846 OCLC 10435777 | Edited by Hosea N. Doxey. |
| Milwaukee | Soul City Times | 1968 | 1971 | Weekly | ISSN 2644-187X, 2644-1888 LCCN 2014254329, 2019201081 OCLC 664611395, 37459048 | Merged into The Milwaukee Star. |
| Milwaukee | The Milwaukee Star (1963–1968, 1976–2005) / Greater Milwaukee Star / Your Greater Milwaukee Star / Milwaukee Star-Times (1971–1976) | 1961 | 2005 | Weekly | LCCN sn84025853, sn84025854, sn84025855, sn84025856, sn84025857 OCLC 10470051, 10470035, 10470032, 10470029, 6706692 | The Star Times name of the 1970s reflected the absorption of the Soul City Times. |
| Milwaukee | The Milwaukee Times | 1981 | current | Weekly | OCLC 14402172 | Official site |
| Milwaukee | Wisconsin Afro-American | 1892 | 1892 | Weekly | ISSN 2643-3818, 2643-3826 LCCN 2013254375, sn84025844 OCLC 665098926, 10435733 | Reported closely on the activity of William T. Green as delegate to the state Republican convention. Status as an African American newspaper is disputed. |
| Milwaukee | Wisconsin Enterprise-Blade / Wisconsin Weekly Blade (1916–1922) | 1916 | 1943? | Weekly | LCCN sn84025843 OCLC 10462422 | |
| Milwaukee | The Wisconsin Weekly Advocate | 1898 | 1915 | Weekly | LCCN 2013254379, sn84025861 OCLC 850981728, 10509898, 2775259 | Extant through at least 1907. |
| Racine | The Communicator News | 1984 | 2013? | Bimonthly newspaper | LCCN sn88086016 OCLC 17448535 | Official site "Serving Racine, Kenosha and the North Shore communities." |
| Racine | The Racine Community Chronicle | 1989 | ? | Biweekly | OCLC 27859307 | |
| Racine | The Racine Insider News | 1992 | | Bimonthly newspaper | | Published by Kenneth Lumpkin. Extant through at least 1995. |
| Racine | Racine Star News | 1970 | 1971 | Weekly | LCCN 2013254308 OCLC 844235537 | |
| Racine | Racine Star | 1971 | 1972 | Weekly | LCCN 2013254307 OCLC 844223253 | "Supplement to the Greater Milwaukee Star serving the Racine-Kenosha area." |