Dallas Express

The Dallas Express was a weekly newspaper published in Dallas from 1892 to 1970. It covered news of African Americans in Dallas and a large portion of Texas. It called itself "The South's Oldest and Largest Negro Newspaper". It was a member of the Associated Negro Press.

For other uses, see Dallas Express (disambiguation).
Dallas Express
TypeWeekly newspaper
Founded1892
Ceased publication1970
HeadquartersDallas, Texas
United States
ISSN2331-334X
OCLC number9839625
W.E. King, founding publisher of the Dallas Express

History

The Express publicized lynchings and incidents of violence against blacks that were not always reported in other newspapers, attacked racial segregation and voting restrictions, and in the 1930s urged establishment of "Negro day" and construction of the Hall of Negro Life at the State Fair of Texas, held in Dallas. When the Ku Klux Klan, which according to D Magazine held sway over Dallas politics in the 1920s, threatened the Express in an insulting letter and called the city "white man's country", the newspaper published the letter and responded. "We are not agitators", it said. "But we do stand by the truth as we see it and protest against injustice".[1] Even while under white ownership in the 1930s, the Express was an ardent supporter of and advocate for the black community. It became more vocal after its 1938 acquisition by black leaders and campaigned for federally funded public housing, improved quality of black education in public schools, elimination of pay discrimination between black and white teachers, and the hiring of black police officers in Dallas. It published photographs of black slum conditions with its campaign promoting public housing, a somewhat shocking use of graphics for the times.

Even while under white ownership in the 1930s, the Express was an ardent supporter of and advocate for the black community. It became more vocal after its 1938 acquisition by black leaders and campaigned for federally funded public housing, improved quality of black education in public schools, elimination of pay discrimination between black and white teachers, and the hiring of black police officers in Dallas. It published photographs of black slum conditions with its campaign promoting public housing, a somewhat shocking use of graphics for the times.

Ownership

W. E. King founded the Express and operated it until his murder by Hattie C. Burleson in late August 1919.[2] In 1930, experiencing financial difficulties, it was acquired by Southwestern Negro Press, which was controlled by Travis Campbell, a white man who had been the printer for the Express and who purchased the paper to keep it in business. In February 1938 it was acquired by A. Maceo Smith, an insurance executive and secretary of the Negro Chamber of Commerce; Rev. Maynard Jackson, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church; Dr. E. E. Ward, a physician; Henry Strickland, president of Excelsior Life Insurance Co.; and C. F. Starkes, president of Peoples Undertaking.[3][4][5]

Unaffiliated online publication

In January 2021, an unaffiliated news website titled The Dallas Express began publication. It has no connection to the historical publication but has cited it as part of its history. D Magazine and The Texas Observer have characterized the website as pink-slime journalism linked to Metric Media.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. Simek, Peter (2021-06-11). "The Real Story Behind the Dallas Express". D Magazine. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  2. "Editor King Murdered". Kansas City Sun. August 30, 1919. p. 1. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  3. "A. Maceo Smith". Texas State Historical Association.
  4. "E. E. Ward". Texas State Historical Association.
  5. "Henry Strickland". Texas State Historical Association.
  6. Davies, David Martin (April 13, 2023). "Pink Slime news is spreading in news deserts" (Radio broadcast). Texas Public Radio. Event occurs at 20:19. Retrieved April 21, 2023. In Dallas, there was Dallas Express, which was for over eighty years operated as a black-owned, weekly progressive newspaper that covered the fight for civil rights, Jim Crow, and segregation. And then it went out of business in the seventies but it's been relaunched as a pink slime newspaper. But people think it's somehow connected to the old Dallas Express.
  7. Sisson, Patrick (May 1, 2023). "The Many Battles of Texas Real Estate Mogul Monty Bennett". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2023-07-31.

Further reading
  • Cox, Patrick. The First Texas News Barons. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2005. ISBN 0-292-70977-3.
  • Payne, Darwin. Big D: Triumphs and Troubles of an American Supercity in the 20th Century. Dallas: Three Forks Press, 2000. ISBN 1-893451-04-6.
  • About W.E. King: The Crisis February 1917, Cleveland Advocate August 1919.
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