WHEREAS, Christopher James Perry, Sr., founder of
The Tribune
, was born in Baltimore, MD in 1856 and, upon graduating from high school, relocated to Philadelphia. Although Perry’s father wanted him to study law, Perry refused, stating” For my people to make progress, they must have a newspaper through which they can speak against injustice”; and
WHEREAS, After 11 years of reporting for a local daily newspaper while attending night school, Perry’s dream of establishing a newspaper came to fruition when he launched
The Tribune
; and
WHEREAS, At the age of 28, Perry published the first edition of a one-page, one man operation titled
Tribune Weekly
at 725 Sansom Street; and
WHEREAS, During the Post-Reconstruction migration,
The Tribune
committed itself to improving the standard of living for African Americans in Philadelphia by covering job openings, civic affairs, social events, and church news; and
WHEREAS, From its inception until his death, Perry wrote about the challenges faced by African Americans, particularly those in Philadelphia, and worked to give them a platform to address the issues that affected their daily lives; and
WHEREAS, Today,
The Philadelphia Tribune
, stands as America’s oldest continuously published newspaper owned and operated by African Americans; and
WHEREAS, Over the years,
The Tribune
has championed issues such as desegregation, equality, equal access to City employment and contracting opportunities, and increasing the representation of African-American judges appointed to Philadelphia Municipal Court; and
WHEREAS,
The Tribune
has grown from a one-page, one man operation 140 years ago to a newspaper that is now published five days a week and maintains a website presence. In addition to the newspaper, the company publishes Tribune Magazine;
Now
, an arts entertainment review; Sojourner, an African-American visitors guide to Philadelphia; and the Learning Key, an educational supplement directed to students, parents, and teachers; and
WHEREAS, Robert W. Bogle, the current publisher of
The Philadelphia Tribune
, continues to lead the organization in its legacy of excellence, upholding its mission of serving the African American community with integrity and commitment; and
WHEREAS, In celebrating this historic milestone, we recognize the invaluable contributions of the Tribune's staff, editors, writers, and all those who have worked tirelessly to maintain the newspaper’s legacy of excellence in journalism and service to the African American community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor and celebrate
The Philadelphia Tribune
, an advocate and trailblazer for the African American community, on the occasion of its 140-year anniversary as the oldest, continuously published newspaper, owned and operated by African Americans.
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Robert W. Bogle and employees of
The Philadelphia Tribune
as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.