New York Amsterdam News plans to transform newsroom into museum highlighting Black journalism
One of the most influential Black newspapers in the city, the New York Amsterdam News, is undergoing a transformation, turning its historic newsroom into a museum.
The paper was founded in 1909, making it one of the oldest Black-owned newspapers in the country.
Their newsroom is located on Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem, just around the corner from the world-famous Apollo Theater.
"Whether it has been to keep hospitals open, or fighting to get people in or out of power, or just giving the information to our community, our editorial stance has been strong," New York Amsterdam News Publisher and Editor in Chief Elinor Tatum said.
The paper continues to publish a weekly print edition with a circulation of around 20,000 people.
"I think the impact is almost immeasurable because we have been a constant beating drum," Tatum said. "When Michael Jackson died in 2009, there were lines around the corner to pick up our newspaper. They knew that we were going to be doing something meaningful."
Planning to open in 2027
The museum is still in the early planning stages, but it will have exhibits and galleries that highlight the paper's Black-centric journalism. Tatum told CBS News New York that they hope to give visitors an experience that takes them back in time.
"I hope they get a feeling of what it was like being inside of a newsroom back then. And get to know a little bit more about what it meant to be a Black reporter in New York through the ages," Tatum said.
The newsroom is like a time capsule, with retro furniture, space dividers, and original fittings dating back to the early 1900s, making it an ideal place for a museum.
"These are metal plates that were used to produce photographs, and that's what they would come out as, and we have thousands of these that date back to the 1930s," Tatum said. Their clipping archives go back to the 1940s.
They hope that construction on the building will begin as early as August, with the museum hoping to open by the end of 2027.
