The RMSC recently announced the complete digitization of one of the longest-running Black newspapers in New York, The Frederick Douglass Voice. These papers are now viewable and available to the public at rmsc.org as part of the Howard Wilson Coles Collection, housed by the RMSC.
Hosting this collection online was made possible through a grant from the Rochester Regional Library Council and in partnership with the Rochester Public Library’s Local History & Genealogy Division.
Howard W. Coles was owner and editor of The Frederick Douglass Voice. Coles served many roles in the Rochester community, as a groundbreaking Black newspaper journalist, as well as a historian, author, radio broadcaster, candidate for public office, and activist. He chronicled and influenced Rochester’s 20th-century Black community by showcasing literary, artistic, and intellectual achievements of community members. Through his publications, he documented culture, community activities, living conditions, and everyday occurrences and concerns of Rochester, spanning seven decades of lifting up and empowering citizens.
The newspaper was circulated for 63 years, from 1933 to 1996, and there are 350 original copies of The Frederick Douglass Voice in the RMSC Collection. The newspapers have served as an important primary resource for local scholars and thought leaders when researching important topics including redlining in Rochester and racism and resistance in the 3rd Ward. Digitizing The Frederick Douglass Voice removes barriers for scholars and the general public, making this documentation of the rich cultural heritage of Rochester’s Black community more accessible to researchers.
“Now, in this 21st century, the need to read these stories is even more important. The children of the people of that time have become eager to hear the history of what came before them. They revel in seeing the pictures and reading the histories of their forebearers found in these newspapers. The papers gave voice to the people, allowing them to tell their stories in ways only they could do. Access to the papers will help to ensure these voices and our history will live forever,” said Joan Coles Howard, Howard W. Coles’ daughter.
“The fragility of the newspapers, like all printed periodicals, previously limited the ability to provide broad public access. Now that they are digitized, we can share this invaluable resource more easily and without worry of damage,” said Stephanie Ball, archivist. The digitization of The Frederick Douglass Voice newspapers also ensures the long-term preservation of these objects as a part of the RMSC’s collections and provides a unique opportunity to share the newspapers with new audiences.
RMSC Director of Collections Elizabeth Alecki expressed, “We are so excited to share this unparalleled resource with the community in such an accessible format. From researchers to students in Rochester and beyond, anyone can read and enjoy the collection online.” The recent digitization work also builds on decades of RMSC stewardship to organize, describe, and promote the Howard W. Coles Collection under the leadership of the late librarian/archivist Leatrice M. Kemp in collaboration with Joan Coles Howard.
Issues of The Frederick Douglass Voice are now available on the RMSC Collections website (https://rmsc.org/museum-science-center/library-archive/the-voice/). For additional resources, Rochester Voices (https://www.rochestervoices.org/collections/frederick_douglass_voice/) through the Rochester Public Library also contains a three-part oral history recording of Howard W. Coles as well as over 60 other oral histories from the Black community.
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