#OnThisDay In 1961, revered newspaper Andrew J. Smitherman passes away. Smitherman had left his indelible mark on the city of Buffalo through his publishing of his paper the Buffalo Star, which was later renamed to the Empire Star. Smitherman’s contributions to the Black community of American cannot be understated.
Smitherman was a newspaper publishing in Tulsa, focusing on telling stories of and for the Black community, before he had to flee the city. Smitherman’s newspaper, The Tulsa Star, aimed to shine light on the horrible injustices being committed in the Jim Crow South. On top of that, he served as a strong figure in organizing resistance against white mob violence, all across the nation.
Tulsa, Oklahoma served as a strong hub of business for the Black community, with the neighborhood of Greenwood familiarly nicknamed “Black Wall Street”. Unfortunately, white mobs fueled by hate, violently attacked the Greenwood district in 1921. As a result of the Greenwood Massacre, Smitherman fled to Buffalo, where he would bury his roots and live the rest of his life.
Were you already familiar with the great Andrew J. Smitherman?