LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the NEW
YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
those illustrious journalistic entities which have diligently and
consistently, year after year, recorded the history of their communities
and brought local news and news of the larger world to their readers;
and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 100th Anniversary of the NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS; and
WHEREAS, On December 4, 1909, the late James H. Anderson put out the
first issue of the AMSTERDAM NEWS; he had ten dollars in his pocket, six
sheets of paper, a lead pencil and a dressmaker's table; the newspaper
was one of only 50 African-American papers in the United States at that
time, and it was sold for two cents a copy from Anderson's home at 132
West 65th Street, in the San Juan Hill section of Manhattan; and
WHEREAS, With the migration of African-Americans to Harlem and the
growing success of the newspaper, James Anderson moved the AMSTERDAM
NEWS uptown to 17 West 135th Street in 1910; in 1916, it moved to 2293
Seventh Avenue, and in 1938, it moved again, to 2271 Seventh Avenue; in
the early 1940s, the paper relocated to its present address at 2340
Eighth Avenue; and
WHEREAS, Not soon after the death of Edward Warren, one of the early
publishers, Mr. Anderson sold his stock in the paper; in 1935, after
many years of struggle, the paper was sold to the Powell Savory Corpo-
ration, then owned by two of the nation's foremost Black entrepreneurs,
Dr. C.B. Powell and Dr. Phillip M.H. Savory; Dr. Powell assumed the
role of publisher; and
WHEREAS, During Dr. Powell's stewardship, the AMSTERDAM NEWS not only
took on local news, but national news as well; much of the paper's
strength was based on its shaping the advancement and realization of
African-American aspirations; as a consequence, the paper is undoubtedly
the most frequently quoted African-American weekly in the world; and
WHEREAS, The AMSTERDAM NEWS, in its 100 years, has had many signif-
icant innovations; it was the second African-American newspaper to be
admitted to the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), in October 1930, of
which it is still a member; in 1936, it became the first, and still is
the only, African-American newspaper that was unionized in all depart-
ments by the Newspaper Guild of New York, Local 3; and
WHEREAS, On May 1, 1971, Dr. C.B. Powell announced his retirement and
sold the AMSTERDAM NEWS to the Amnews Corporation, its current owner;
over the years, many important figures in journalism have been editors
of the paper, including T. Thomas Fortune, George W. Harris, Obie McCol-
lum, John Lewis Clarke, Earl Brown, Dan Burley, Julius J. Adams, Thomas
Watkins, S.W. Garlington, Stanley Ross, T.J. Sellers, Dr. G. James Flem-
ing, James L. Hicks, Jesse H. Walker and Bryant Rollins; and
WHEREAS, Numerous talented African-American writers and photographers
have added to the luster of the AMSTERDAM NEWS including Raoul Abdul,
Bessie Bearden, Bill Chase, Cathy Connors, Marvel Cooke, Gerri Major,
Robert L. Haggins, Nora Holt, Edward Perry, Marvin Smith and Morgan
Smith; and
WHEREAS, While the AMSTERDAM NEWS is African-American-oriented, it has
always been aware of the fact that it serves a multiracial community and
recognized other ethnic groups; on November 26, 1963, THE NEW YORK TIMES
credited the AMSTERDAM NEWS with inspiring a crackdown on vices and
other ills in the village of Harlem; and

WHEREAS, In August of 1982, Wilbert A. Tatum, chairman of the board
and editor-in-chief, assumed direction of the paper and has since broad-
ened its editorial perspective, particularly in international affairs;
this expanded thrust has produced considerable interest and readership
from all sectors of the local, national and international communities;
and
WHEREAS, In July of 1996, Wilbert Tatum bought out the last remaining
investor, putting the future of the paper in the hands of the Tatum
family; in December of 1997, Mr. Tatum stepped down as publisher and
editor-in-chief and passed the torch to his daughter, Elinor Ruth Tatum,
who was 26 years old at the time; until the time of his death early in
2009, Wilbert Tatum remained affiliated with the paper as publisher
emeritus and chairman of the board; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organiza-
tions of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Susan and Elinor Ruth Tatum.