August 21, 1869

The Arkansas Freeman newspaper began publication. The Arkansas Freeman was the first newspaper in Arkansas printed by an African American and focusing upon the black community. It was in publication for less than one year, reflecting the divisions within the Republican Party, particularly related to African Americans. The Reverend Tabbs Gross, an ex-slave from Germantown, Kentucky, stated in his prospectus that black citizens in the state needed a “faithful and reliable newspaper, devoted particularly to their interests, and conducted and controlled by men of their own race and color.” Each issue of the publication urged African Americans to do more for the betterment of their population.