Digital: Newark African American Newspapers

PAPER OWNERS

The Newark Herald was founded in 1928 by Fred R. Clark, with offices on Bank and Wilsey Street.

In 1935, Clark lost the paper when the printer foreclosed on a chattel mortgage. and the paper was sold to Johnson, managing editor, Russell Blaine, ad manager (who quickly sold out), and Oliver W "Butts" Brown, sports editor.

The printer foreclosed again in 1937 and the paper was sold to New York Amsterdam News publishers C B Powell and P M H Savory.

As a result, Brown and Johnson, worked with Fred and Richard Martin, Jersey City brothers, to publish the first issue of the New Jersey Herald News. The issue was typed at Johnson's apartment 94 Barclay Street. (According to the obituary of William H. Maxwell, early Black Star Ledger editor, the first Black Newspaper in the state, around 1900, was also called the New Jersey Herald News, but is unrelated.)

In late 1938, the Martin brothers bought the "Newark Herald" back from Powell and retained control until 1947.

On August 30, 1947 it was annouced that the Martin brothers had sold the paper back to Brown, along with William Malloy, advertising manager, and Henry Graham, owner of 188 Belmont Ave.

In 1949, Herbert H Tate replaced Graham as co-owner. Malloy died in 1960.

In 1966, the Herald News merged with the Advance, founded in 1965. The merger was presented as the unification of New Jersey's "largest selling" and oldest "Negro newspapers".

The last issue owned by the library was published weeks after Brown died in 1966 and presumably the paper folded around this time.

STAFF AND EDITORS

The first editor from 1928-1931 was Mr. Darby. He was succeeded by J. Mercer Burrell and James F. King.

In 1933, Melvin B. Johnson was appointed editor. By May 1938, Melvin B Johnson was managing editor and Oliver W "Butts" Brown" was business manager.

In July 1938, William Malloy came from the Guardian to be circulation and ad manager.

In Oct 1938, Johnson leftt the Herald News and went back to work with Clark at the New Jersey Guardian.

In Jan 1939, Lucious "Lou" Blacmon (Louis Blackman?) was appointed an editor. Subsequent editors were Harry B. Webber and Dr. Mark Moreland.

After the paper was sold in 1947, Brown became managing editor and remained editor through 1966, though Edward Murrain is listed as an editor under Brown, in 1962, and Herbert Tate is on the masthead as Counsel and Treasurer all through the 1960s.

Mervyn Robinson was the editor of the Advance before the merger with Herald News.

KEY BIOGRAPHIES

Fred R. Clark (1882-1951)
After 20 years in insurance, and helping to organize Negro League team the Newark Giants in 1929, Fred R. Clark decided New Jersey needed a "Negro newspaper" and founded the Newark Herald. Clark was honored by Police Court Judge Ralph Villani (later Mayor of Newark) in 1933 for his work in journalism. After losing the Herald, Clark ran the New Jersey Guardian and the Newark Record, dying in 1951.

Melvin B. Johnson (1906-1952)
Born in South Carolina, Johnson campaigned for City Commissioner in 1949, active in Third Ward politics, and an investigator with the Labor Department. He was a also a correspondent for the Afro American. He died in Jan 1952 at age 46, and the obituary listed his association with the Newark Herald.

Oliver W "Butts" Brown Sr. (1900-1966)
Oliver Brown, born in Flemington, NJ, was involved with the Herald since its founding by Clark. His first assignment was to cover the 1928 Howard-Lincoln football game. Brown was also involved in Negro League baseball in the 1930s. Brown became editor of the paper in 1947 and died in 1966.

Herbert H. Tate Sr. (1908-1988)
Besides being a co-owner of the Herald News, Tate was a New Jersey Superior Court Judge and civil rights activist, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. He was instrumental in many laws agaist discrimination in New Jersey.

William H. Malloy (1901-1960)
William H. Malloy, born in North Carolina, worked for the New Jersey Labor Dept and lived in Montclair.

Harry B. Webber (1901-1991)
After serving as city editor at the Herald News, Webber was editor and publisher of After Hours magazine in the 1940s (also on digital.npl.org). He also wrote the Jersey Happenings column for the New Jersey Afro American. He was also a social worker in New York City.

Frederick "Fred" W. and Robert Martin (1898-1981, 1901-1985)
The Martin brothers were co-owners of Peerless Products Cosmestics in Jersey City. Frederick, born in New Orleans, was the first Black councilman in Jersey City, elected in 1961. He died in 1981. Richard, born in Mississippi, died in Edison in 1985.

Mervyn Robinson (1933-2012)
Robinson was a lifelong resident of Montclair who was very active in local politics, on the board of Montclair Day Nurseries and owned two nightclubs. Robinson was publisher of "The Greater News", as well as editing the Newark Advance. He founded the Montclair Council of Negro Men and served on the Montclair Planning Board.

CIVIL RIGHTS

The paper supported civil rights, especially starting around 1933, when Clark used the motto, "Don't Spend Your Money Where You Can't Work", prompting Springfield Avenue merchants to begin hiring Black workers.

Around 1947, the paper put up a "terrific fight" for allowing Black residents to serve on grand juries, which was allowed two weeks after an editorial in the paper.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Editor is Honored by Police Court Judge" Pittsburgh Courier, Jun 24, 1933
"Deaths" Star Ledger Jan 19, 1952.
"Oliver W Brown, 66, Newspaper Editor" Star Ledger, Nov 10, 1966
Digitized issues of Herald News especially Jun 4, 1966
Census records
"Newark Editor Changes Papers" Dayton Forum Oct 21, 1938
"Activities of Colord People" The Sentinel, Jan 16 1938
Cummings, "Three Leaders Helped City..." Star Ledger Feb 13, 2003
"Fred R Clark" Apr 24, 1951
"Newark to Have a Negro Nine" New York Age June 29, 1929
"Editor Johnson to Speak Here Friday" Herald-News Oct 9, 1935
"New Jersey Paper is Sold" Alabama Tribune Sept 5, 1947
"Herbet H Tate", Star Ledger, Oct 24, 1959
Obituaries of Fred and Richard Martin (Jersey Journal)
Obituaries of Herbert H Tate (May 3, 1988) Harry Webber, and William H. Maxwell (Star Ledger)
Obituaries of William Malloy and Mervyn Robinson (Montclair Times)