Voice of the Fugitive

Voice of the Fugitive
PublisherHenry Bibb and Mary E. Bibb
EditorHenry Bibb
J.T. Holly
Founded1851 (1851)
Ceased publication1853 (1853)
CityWindsor, Ontario
CountryCanada
OCLC number11509720

Voice of the Fugitive was Canada's first Black newspaper that was directed towards freedom seekers and Black refugees from the United States.[1]

Founded and edited by Henry Bibb and his wife Mary Bibb, it was first published on January 1, 1851, in Sandwich, Ontario and moved to Windsor shortly after. The paper was published on a bi-weekly schedule on Wednesdays, where it was priced at $1 per year.[1] The paper was available across Ontario and made its way to America's Northern States such as Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.[1] In 1852, James Theodore Holly joined the newspaper as co-owner and co-editor, [2] and was officially named as "corresponding editor and travelling agent".[3] This helped Bibb to actively engage with other political and charitable commitments, speaking duties and other writing engagements.[1] Despite Mary Bibb not being listed as a co-editor, she actively contributed to the paper. Mary Bibb had written several articles, connected with a network of abolitionists in northern states within the U.S to obtain more subscribers all while also taking on the role as an editor and publisher when her husband was away.[4]

The paper had focused on a range of topics that were important within Canada's growing Black population, such as the activities of the Underground Railroad, abolitionist work both in Upper Canada and the U.S., resources for newly arrived Black refugees and more. Additionally, Henry Bibb had often used the paper to advocate against the dependence of charity from Canada's White community and believed in segregated land settlements built only for the Black community.[5] The paper also sought to reinforce the notion that Upper Canada was a favourable place to migrate for Black refugees and that they should take part in their new communities upon arrival.[6] The paper had been a source to help Black refugees adjust to their new lives.

On October 9, 1853, Henry Bibb's printing office had been damaged by a fire.[7] This event proved to be a devastating tragedy, as the paper never fully recovered. Bibb asserted that it was a result of arson.[7] However, Bibb began printing again in November,[1] printing a one page sheet only. The Bibb's attempted to revive the paper until Henry Bibb's unanticipated death on August 1, 1854.[1]

Frederick Douglass said the newspaper was a "spirited little sheet, devoted to the cause of fugitives in Canada".[8]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "INK - ODW Newspaper Collection". ink.ourontario.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  2. ^ Bibb, Henry (2001). The Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb: An American Slave. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 978-0-299-16893-3.
  3. ^ Lynch, Hollis Ralph (1977). James Theodore Holly: Ante-bellum Black Nationalist and Emigrationist. Center for Afro-American Studies, University of California.
  4. ^ Cooper, Afua (2016). "The Voice of the Fugitive: A Transnational Abolitionist Organ". A Fluid Frontier: Slavery, Resistance, and the Underground Railroad in the Detroit River Borderland. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 135–153. ISBN 9780814339596.
  5. ^ Alexander, Ken; Glaze, Avis (1996). Towards Freedom: The African-Canadian Experience. Toronto: Umbrella Press. p. 65.
  6. ^ Hill, Daniel (1981). The Freedom Seekers: Blacks in Early Canada. Ontario: Book Society of Canada. p. 185.
  7. ^ a b Hill, Daniel G. (1981). The Freedom-Seekers: Blacks in Early Canada. Ontario: Book Society of Canada. p. 202.
  8. ^ Fagan, Benjamin (2016). The Black Newspaper and the Chosen Nation. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-4940-4.