Bruce Johnson

The Philadelphia Tribune, founded in 1884 by Christopher James Perry, Sr., is America’s oldest and the Greater Philadelphia region’s largest newspaper serving the African-American community. Perry, born in 1856, was a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He was a very ambitious and civic-minded individual; well known in his hometown as a thoughtful, public speaker. He appeared on many programs with national leaders and also worked for a local newspaper for which he reported the social doings of his race. Upon graduating from high school, Perry decided to move to Philadelphia. His father wanted him to study law but he refused. “For my people to make progress, they must have a newspaper through which they can speak against injustice,” he reasoned. Thus, at the age of 17, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the dream of establishing a newspaper. Over the next 11 years, Perry continued to work as a reporter for a local daily newspaper while attending school at night. At the age of 28, he published the first edition of the Tribune at 725 Sansom Street, an area now known as “Jeweler’s Row.” It was a one-page, one man operation titled ‘Tribune Weekly.’ From the very beginning until his death in 1921, Perry wrote about the problems that affected the daily lives of colored men and women.