As the first editor for the Orlando Sentinel Online , the paper's initial foray into Internet publishing, Cooper conceived Black Voices by recognizing and answering the needs of an underserved audience. Black Voices was instantly popular when it launched in December 1995 on America Online, quickly capturing a regional and then national following. But Cooper wasn't finished. In April 1997 Black Voices launched a Web site, and its popularity skyrocketed. In September 1998, the Web and AOL sites were given a unified redesign, and a free registration feature was added.
Tremendous growth continues.
Click to see the full size of the original Black Voices homepage. Cooper, a longtime chronicler of African-American affairs, has been a writer, columnist and manager of Internet Web sites. A journalist for more than 20 years, Cooper was nominated in 1983 for a Pulitzer prize for a series on disadvantaged athletes. He also wrote a syndicated sports column. He is frequently asked to speak about the Internet and topics of importance to the Black community.