Legacy with the Afro-American Newspaper

Murphy wanted to broaden the circulation of the Afro-American beyond Baltimore’s black community. Under his leadership the newspaper continued its growth by establishing bureaus in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, Newark, and Richmond. There were even some subscribers in Africa. The superior guidance of Murphy won the Afro-American the title of most successful black publication in the mid-Atlantic region. Frances Murphy noted that the only differences between the national edition of the Afro-American in Baltimore and the other city editions was that local news in various other cities was covered along with the national news coverage. The front page incorporated local news but the editorial page remained untouched. She also stated that Carl Murphy was very interested in providing readers with an understanding of the connection between local experience and national occurrences such as civil rights cases that were being filed in the courts, school integration, and equal pay and employment. He would often outline during meetings how major stories would impact each other. Therefore, managing editors and city editors were asked to keep those issues in mind when deciding on the layout of the paper.

Like his father, Carl Murphy believed in equal rights for both men and women. He encouraged all five of his daughters to learn the business, particularly since they were to inherit it. They were also encouraged to pursue academic careers in journalism and work for the Afro-American . Two of Murphy’s daughters, Frances L. Murphy and Elizabeth Murphy Moss, became chief officers of the Afro-American Company after his death. Frances was chair of the board and chief executive officer from 1971 to 1974, and Elizabeth became vice-president and treasurer of the company. Elizabeth was the first black female war correspondent for the Afro-American during World War II. Murphy’s vision for the business also included equal pay and equal rights for both male and female reporters. Frances Murphy stated, “We had a fight going on for survival. The people in the white press did not have that kind of fight; they were just out there doing a job. Ours was more than a job, people depended on us.”

Alongside its astute journalists, the Afro-American newspaper also relied upon prominent black intellectuals for news reports and for their insightful political commentary. For example, Rayford W. Logan, one of the most distinguished historians of the African Diaspora, was asked by the Afro-American to provide an exclusive report on his travel to Haiti as well as to provide political commentary on the experience of Haitians under U.S. occupation.

Sending its reporters worldwide in search of news and commissioning reports from noted black scholars and leaders made it possible for the Afro-American to provide its readers with firsthand information. The editors believed that sending their own reporters to report news firsthand could create unity among African descendents worldwide. They hoped to create a Pan-African solidarity that would facilitate the black struggle for social, political, and economic justice. During the occupation of Haiti, Murphy traveled to Haiti along with the Moton Commission members and reported Haitian news to the paper. In 1933, William N. Jones, Afro-American editor, received an invitation from Liberian minister Barclay to travel to Liberia as its goodwill ambassador. Jones reported his findings to the Afro-American and also developed an economic plan for Liberia entitled the “Save Liberia Plan.” The plan was designed to develop networks between Liberians and African Americans.

The use of black intelligentsia to report, analyze, and disseminate news regarding the plight of Africans abroad was another strategy adopted by the Afro-American . Contributing writers such as Logan, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and several others added to the paper’s sophistication and integrity. Key leaders chosen were major proponents of a Pan-African ideology, which the paper wholeheartedly supported. The publisher, editors, and writers for the Afro-American supported and developed plans for political networks and economic ties with blacks in Haiti and Liberia. Regarding the crisis in Ethiopia, the Afro-American encouraged African American participation in the war, black migration to Ethiopia, and political networks between Diaspora communities. Clearly, the Afro-American response to identity questions was answered in its weekly coverage of Diaspora news.

Through his forty-year tenure as the head of the Afro-American , Murphy used the pages of the newspaper to respond to the misrepresentation of blacks in the mainstream press and to tell the story of the black experience from the black perspective. Along with other black publishers, he highlighted the living conditions of blacks, their concerns, their problems, and most important, their achievements. His achievements as newspaper man, civil rights activist, and educator illustrate what influence newspapers can have in shaping public opinion.