Bay State Banner charts New England expansion to fill the ‘void’ of dying local journalism

When the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964, Melvin Miller saw an opportunity. He believed effective communication was essential for people to take advantage of the rights and freedoms provided by this new law.

One year later, Miller founded the Bay State Banner in a small office on Warren Street in Boston. The newspaper provided coverage of struggles over busing, civil rights and urban renewal from the Black community’s perspective. Now, 57 years later, the Bay State Banner is the oldest and largest Black newspaper in New England.

Miller edited and published the paper until March of this year. At the age of 88, he sold the Bay State Banner to filmmaker Andre Stark and Boston journalist Ron Mitchell, who grew up reading the paper.

“It was in my home, it was the place my family went to for information to know about our legacy, about our community,” Mitchell said on Boston Public Radio on Thursday.

He noted the Banner builds on the legacy of the African diaspora in Boston, including the Boston Guardian, William Monroe Trotter’s early 20th-century newspaper. Mitchell said it’s crucial for Black people and the Black diaspora to tell their own stories.

“Mel made sure our community had that voice, and it was important to Andre and I that that voice continue,” he said.

Under the new ownership, Mitchell and Stark will expand the voice of the Banner to regions where most Black newspapers have folded, including Connecticut, north of Boston and Rhode Island. The Banner will publish versions tailored to each of these new regions.

“As other papers die ... you have to step into that void, you have to provide that information,” Mitchell said.

Much of that information is now available on the Banner’s website, which Mitchell and Stark are transforming into what they call an “interactive online resource” with direct links for jobs and loan opportunities. The Banner will also expand coverage to include a sports section, an art gallery page, food reviews and a travel page.

In a time when many small newspapers are closing, the Bay State Banner aims to bring local journalism to all people. Mitchell said the Banner is not just a Black paper, noting 30% of its readership is white.

After decades at the helm, Miller knows keeping the Banner alive and growing won’t be easy. “It’s not a job for weenies,” he said.

Mitchell responded: “I’ll take that as a compliment.”