The Atlanta Independent was an African American newspaper founded in 1903 by Benjamin Jefferson Davis Sr., making it one of the most influential Black-owned papers in the South during the early 20th century. Published in Atlanta, the paper was unapologetically militant for its time, challenging segregation, lynching, voter suppression, and economic injustice while pushing for full Black citizenship and political power. Davis used the Independent to encourage racial self-reliance, protest racial violence, and mobilize Black Atlantans, especially during the Jim Crow era. The paper’s bold editorial stance made it both widely respected in Black communities and closely watched by white authorities, cementing its place as a key voice of the Southern Black press.
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