Clint C. Wilson II Releases WHITHER THE BLACK PRESS?

Those who have wondered whatever "happened" to the Black press will find answers in "Whither the Black Press?" an informative and entertaining book that traces the historical roots of the medium and examines whether new media platforms of the 21st century can fill the void left by a segment of the declining newspaper industry.

Written by Clint C. Wilson II, a recognized Black press scholar and professional journalist, "Whither the Black Press?" explores the historic development of African American newspapers from their African roots to the founding of their first weekly journal and into the glory years as the communication foundation for the Civil Rights Movement. In the process, the author reveals little known facts about the ways in which the Black press wove itself into the fabric of American culture among the White and Black populations.

This book brings to life interesting historical facts including: the early development of literary and publishing endeavors among Black people in colonial America and what Thomas Jefferson wrote about them; the ironic consequences that visited White publications following the U.S. Supreme Court's racial segregation decision in Plessy vs. Ferguson; the roles played by aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright in the launch of a Black newspaper published by Paul Laurence Dunbar; how the Black press reacted to the controversial success of the Amos 'N' Andy radio show in the 1930s; and why the Black press found itself at a disadvantage in reporting the Civil Rights Movement for which it had been largely responsible.

"Whither the Black Press?" provides journalism historians, students and the general reading public with trends and overviews of key contributors to the development and maturation of the Black press in the United States. Furthermore, it provides a historical framework for assessing today's African American press in the changing technological world of new communications media. Lastly, this book provides a greater sense of awareness of the importance of communication in multicultural America.

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author
Clint C. Wilson II, Ed.D. is Graduate Professor Emeritus in the Howard University School of Communications where he teaches courses in communication, culture and media studies. He is a recipient of the Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism from the University of Missouri and the Lionel Barrow Award for Distinguished Achievement in Diversity Research and Education. He has lectured at academic symposia at colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad at Oxford University. Dr. Wilson is widely regarded among the nation's foremost scholars of the Black press and his book "A History of the Black Press," completed the unfinished work of the late African American journalism historian Dr. Armistead S. Pride. The book was cited as one of the 35 "most significant books of the 20th century" by Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. He has authored or co-authored seven other books including "Racism, Sexism and the Media: Multicultural Issues Into the New Communications Age." The Society of Professional Journalists honored that work with its 2003 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Excellence in Journalism Research. Dr. Wilson's professional journalism career includes work for various news media organizations including the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, St. Petersburg Times, USA Today.com and the Los Angeles Sentinel.

Whither the Black Press?* by Clint C. Wilson II
Glorious Past, Uncertain Future
Publication Date: January 17, 2014
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 176 pages; 978-1-4931-6143-0
Trade Hardback; $29.99; 176 pages; 978-1-4931-6144-7
e-book; $3.99; 978-1-4931-6145-4

Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (812) 355-4079 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879.

For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit http://www.Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274.

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