Edward Elder Cooper was a prominent early black publisher in the United States. He was born into slavery in

Duval County, Florida Duval County ( ), officially the City of Jacksonville and Duval County, is a County (United States), county in the First Coast, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was ...

on 10. June 1859, and died at the age of 49 on 9 July 1908. Cooper was the publisher of the ''

Indianapolis Freeman The ''Indianapolis Freeman'' (1884–1926) was the first illustrated black newspaper in the United States. Founder and owner Louis Howland, who was soon replaced by Edward Elder Cooper, published its first print edition on November 20, 1884. H ...

'', starting in July 1888, then sold it in 1892. Cooper then launched '' The Colored American'' in Washington, D.C. starting in 1893. Cooper allied the newspaper with

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, and orator. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the primary leader in the African-American community and of the contemporary Black elite#United S ...

Mary Church Terrell Mary Terrell (born Mary Church; September 23, 1863 – July 24, 1954) was an American civil rights activist, journalist, teacher and one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. She taught in the Latin Department at the M St ...

, and generally with the Republican Party. The newspaper fell into debt and shut down in 1904.

References

African-American press 19th-century American slaves Year of death missing Place of birth missing People from Duval County, Florida People enslaved in Florida {{Indianapolis-stub