The Scott family of Atlanta battled racism with integrity

Now the biggest threat to The World, the nation's first black newspaper, is competition from the mainstream press.

By Mark Fischetti

In 1928, with help from his four brothers who had followed him from Mississippi, William A. Scott II began publishing The Atlanta World, a weekly newspaper for black readers that countered the often prejudiced and inaccurate reporting of the white press. By 1933 the paper had gone daily, and the Scott Newspaper Syndicate was printing more than 50 black newspapers nation wide on its machines.

One year later William was gunned down in front of his own house.

WilliamÕs brother, C.A. Scott, took over at age 26, and he continues to lead The World today, 60 years later. Determined to run the Òright version of a storyÓÑthat is, one that included the black perspectiveÑC.A. mixed strong local coverage with national news, and built the newspaper to a peak circulation of 90,000 in the 1940s. Not accepted by the white press, the best black newspeople flocked to the Scott papers, raising them to national prominence.

Though defying bias, C.A. remained conservative in his policy, which he often set after consultation with his mother. At the height of the civil rights controversies in the 1940s, Õ50s, and Õ60s, C.A. supported individualsÕ views, not political ideologies, which at times drew criticism from black voters. For example, C.A. stood up for Democrat Harry Truman, in part because he had desegregated the U.S. armed forces, even though blacks were abandoning the Democratic party because of the influence of Dixiecrat politicians. C.A. also refused to sensationalize racism as other papers did, which cost him readers.

Ironically, the eventual integration of black journalists and more balanced reporting in the mainstream press led to a long decline for the Scott syndicate, which sold the last of its sister papers in 1989. Only The World remains today; it is published only three times a week to an audience of 18,000. No one wants to run a ÒNegro newspaperÓ anymore, or settle for the low salaries The World can afford. Except for the Scott family, that is, which accounts for 8 of the paperÕs 18 employees. ÒThere is still a need for a black newspaper in this country,Ó says C.A.Õs daughter, Portia, at age 50 the heir-apparent. ÒWe will continue to provide that voice.Ó

Just as C.A. has, Portia is determined to sustain The World in the face of difficulty. ÒMy father was always a strong leader. He had strength and integrity, which sprang from his Christian upbringing. The paper has contributed greatly to the black community and the black race, and we will sustain that reputation.Ó With competitive forces threatening The World more than racism ever did, C.A., now 86, says, ÒThis is the most difficult time in our history, but we will hang in there. This family will stick together.Ó