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Oral history interview with C. Blythe Andrews, Jr., 1971.

Creator: Andrews, C. Blythe
Project: Black Journalists Oral History Collection.
(see all project interviews)
Phys. Desc. :sound files : digital preservation master, WAV files (96kHz, 24 bit) Transcript 44 pages
Location: Columbia Center for Oral History
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Biographical Note

Cyril Blythe Andrews, Jr. (1930-2010), a newspaperman and influential businessman, was born in Jacksonville, Florida and raised in Tampa, Florida. He attended segregated public schools and graduated from high school in 1946. He earned an undergraduate degree in Economics from Talladega College in 1950; a Journalism degree from Boston University in 1951; and served in the United States Army for one year. After his father’s death in 1977, Andrews took over the family paper, The Florida Sentinel-Bulletin. The paper was started in 1919 by Andrews' grandfather, William Wallace (W.W.) Andrews. The family paper was taken over by his daughter, Sybil Kay Andrews Hill, and son, C. Blythe Andrews III in 1996. In addition to publishing the weekly paper highlighting the "achievements and tribulations" of the African American community, Andrews served as a member of the Board of Trustees for Tampa General Hospital; petitioned to rename Tampa's Buffalo Avenue in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and advocated for the creation of a healthcare program for the low income population of Hillsborough County.

Scope and Contents

C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. (1930-2010) reflects on his family's ownership of the Florida Sentinel, the acquisition of the Tampa Bulletin, the merger of both publications to form the Florida Sentinel-Bulletin, and the economics of running a paper. Andrews also discusses: the distinction between content in the white and black press; the differing purposes of black and white papers; the frequency of publication; the Sentinel-Bulletin's integrated staff; the difficulty of finding qualified staff for the newspaper; the effects of desegregation on black educators; and white advertisers' missed marketing opportunities. Andrews explains his reason for pursuing a journalism degree, the limited career opportunities for black Americans, the effects of segregation on schools, civil service exams, and interracial marriage. He highlights the credibility of black newspapers in the black community, the necessity for black ownership of the papers, and the feasibility of a national black newspaper.

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