Oral history interview with Norman Powell, 1971.

Biographical Note

Norman Powell was the president of Amalgamated Publishers Inc., a concern that solicited national advertising for many of the major black newspapers. He began his career in journalism as a sportswriter and, later, advertising manager for the Afro-American.

Scope and Contents

In this 1971 interview, Norman Powell discusses his early work as a journalist and his later position as advertising manager for the Afro-American. Powell outlines how the content, advertising, availability, and political potential of black newspapers has changed. Powell then elaborates on the history and organization of Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. He ponders the impact of changing demographic patterns in the United States on the circulation of newspapers and describes how the black press has changed since 1827. The interview concludes with Powell's assessment of how America would have been different without the black press and his explanation of why radical black publications do not contain advertising.

Subjects

• Advertising--Newspapers.
• African American journalists.
• African American newspapers.
• African American press.
• African Americans--Civil rights.
• Baltimore (Md.)--Newspapers.
• Editors--Interviews.
• Interviews.
• Journalism--Political aspects.
• Journalists--Interviews.
• La Brie, Henry G., interviewer.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ivr
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Powell, Norman--Interviews.
• United States--Race relations.