Format | broadsheet |
---|---|
Founder(s) |
Benjamin Pelham, Robert Pelham Jr., Walter H. Stowers, William H. Anderson |
Staff writers | Meta E. Pelham |
Active dates | 1883–1894 |
Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
OCLC number | 9975654 |
Detroit Plaindealer (1883–1894) also known as simply The Plaindealer, was an American newspaper that served the Black community and was published in Detroit. [1] Since 2020, the former newspaper publishing building has a historical marker at 1114 Washington Boulevard in the Capitol Park district in Detroit. [1]
The newspaper was founded by brothers Benjamin Pelham and Robert Pelham Jr., Walter H. Stowers, and William H. Anderson; and was advertised as "Detroit’s first Afro-American newspaper". [1] [2] [3] Its news reporting included abolitionist activities. It served the African American communities throughout the midwest. [2] [4] It opened doors for expanding and connecting African American businesspeople, politicians, government service workers and civil rights leaders within the Detroit community. [2] Meta E. Pelham worked as a reporter for the newspaper. [5] In 1892, the newspaper was published in both Detroit and in Cincinnati, Ohio. [6]
The Detroit Plaindealer closed in 1894 after financial struggles. [1] The Afro-American Press and Its Editors (1891) book includes a profile on the newspaper and its employees.