Crisis (newspaper)

Crisis (newspaper). Founded in 1910 by pioneering sociologist and activist W. E. B. Du Bois, *Crisis* served as the official monthly publication of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Under Du Bois's editorship, it became the preeminent voice of the Harlem Renaissance, a relentless advocate against lynching in the United States, and a crucial platform for the early civil rights movement. Its pages blended incisive political commentary, investigative reporting, and pioneering African American literature and art, establishing an enduring legacy as a cornerstone of African-American press.

History and founding

*Crisis* was launched in November 1910, with its first issue bearing the subtitle "A Record of the Darker Races." Its creation was a direct outgrowth of the Niagara Movement, an earlier civil rights organization founded by Du Bois, and it became the primary organ of the newly formed NAACP. The magazine's founding was announced at the Second National Negro Conference, a pivotal gathering of activists. Financed initially by Du Bois himself and a $100 donation from supporter John E. Milholland, its early offices were located in New York City. The publication's name was inspired by James Russell Lowell's poem "The Present Crisis," reflecting Du Bois's view of the era's racial struggles as a turning point. Key early supporters included Oswald Garrison Villard, Mary White Ovington, and Moorfield Storey.

Content and editorial stance

The editorial content of *Crisis* was unflinchingly dedicated to social justice, employing a blend of scholarly analysis, polemical essays, and stark documentation. Each issue famously published the "NAACP's Monthly Record of the Colored Race," which tallied incidents of lynching and other racial violence. Du Bois used the magazine to promote his philosophy of the "Talented Tenth" and to challenge the Atlanta Compromise advocated by Booker T. Washington. Beyond politics, it was a vital literary outlet, publishing early works by figures like Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Jean Toomer. The magazine also featured reproductions of art by Aaron Douglas and covered major events such as the Pan-African Congress and the Scottsboro Boys trial.

Impact and legacy

The impact of *Crisis* on American society and culture was profound. It was instrumental in shaping the ideological foundations of the modern civil rights movement, providing a national platform for anti-Jim Crow laws advocacy. Its support for the Harlem Renaissance helped launch the careers of numerous writers and artists, defining a cultural movement. The magazine's relentless reporting on racial violence, including the East St. Louis riots and the Red Summer of 1919, mobilized public opinion and NAACP membership. Its legacy continues through its ongoing publication as the NAACP's quarterly journal, and its archives serve as an essential primary source for historians studying African-American history, the Great Migration, and 20th-century United States social movements.

Notable contributors and editors

Beyond founder and longtime editor W. E. B. Du Bois, *Crisis* featured contributions from a who's who of African American intellectual and cultural life. Literary editor Jessie Redmon Fauset nurtured many writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Notable authors who published within its pages included Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, and Georgia Douglas Johnson. Later editors included Roy Wilkins, who would become executive secretary of the NAACP, and James Weldon Johnson, a renowned writer and activist. Influential journalists like Ida B. Wells and intellectuals such as Alain Locke also contributed essays and reports, solidifying the magazine's role as a central forum for Black thought.

Circulation and distribution

Circulation for *Crisis* grew rapidly from an initial print run of 1,000 copies, peaking at over 100,000 monthly copies by 1919, fueled by public outrage over post-World War I racial violence. It was distributed nationally through NAACP branches, which were often established in cities following the magazine's reach, and by subscription. While primarily focused on an African American readership, it also reached sympathetic white allies and was read internationally, influencing anti-colonial movements. Distribution faced challenges in the American South, where its content was often deemed subversive. Over the decades, as the media landscape changed, its frequency shifted from monthly to bimonthly and eventually to its current quarterly format under the NAACP.