HR 988: The Savannah Tribune; commend

House Resolution 988

By: Representatives Jackson of the 165th, Westbrook of the 163rd, Stephens of the 164th, Gilliard of the 162nd, and Hitchens of the 161st

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing and commending The Savannah Tribune; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, during the years between the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the beginning of the Reconstruction Era in 1865, three Savannah African American civic and business leaders, John H. DeVeaux, Louis B. Toomer, Sr., and Louis M. Pleasant, took advantage of this brief period of opportunities for African Americans in the South, recognizing the need for a newspaper dedicated to covering news and issues related to the African-American community of Savannah; and

WHEREAS, despite facing an unfavorable environment of segregation and resistance from white citizens with policies designed to block black progress, DeVeaux, Toomer, and Pleasant moved forward with personal resources from DeVeaux, who was born in 1848 to a free black family, to finance the establishment of The Colored Tribune in 1875, renamed The Savannah Tribune in 1876, for the stated purpose of defending "the rights of the colored people and their elevation to the highest plane of citizenship;" and

WHEREAS, The Tribune, one of the first African American-owned and operated newspapers in the United States, was published until 1878, when forced to close because white printers in the city refusing to produce the newspaper; and

WHEREAS, DeVeaux and R.W. White founded The Tribune Publishing Company with its own printing plant and reopened The Savannah Tribune in 1886, with DeVeaux serving as editor until 1889, when he was appointed as Collector of Customs, and relocated to Brunswick, Georgia, after which Savannah businessman, Soloman "Sol" C. Johnson, assumed editorship and upon DeVeaux's death in 1909 became owner of The Tribune; and

WHEREAS, under Sol Johnson's editorship, The Tribune served as the only print source in south Georgia and north Florida for news about race riots and the injustices of the Jim Crow era such as lynchings and the lack of educational opportunities that were imposed upon blacks; and

WHEREAS, upon the death of Sol C. Johnson in 1954, his Goddaughter, Willa Ayers Johnson, who worked as secretary at The Tribune, assumed ownership and published The Tribune until September 1960, when it closed its doors; and

WHEREAS, The Savannah Tribune was re-established in 1973, by banker Robert E. James, who was owner and publisher until 1983, when his wife, Shirley Barber James, a community leader and university educator, became the publisher and sole owner; and

WHEREAS, with the exception of hiatuses from 1878 to 1886, and 1960 to 1973, The Savannah Tribune has operated continuously, even in the wake of a devastating fire in January 2006, when the local journalism community rallied around The Tribune such that it was able to continue the proud tradition of not missing a publication date since its rebirth in 1973.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize The Savannah Tribune as a beacon in journalism, celebrate 150 years as a valued Savannah tradition on June 28, 2025, and commend its continuing proud legacy of championing causes that uplift African Americans locally, regionally, and nationally through print and digital media. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Shirley Barber James, publisher of The Savannah Tribune.