"This is a story of the American West — one that you've never heard."
Welcome to the digital exploration of the life and legacy of Jefferson L. Edmonds, a formerly enslaved man turned farmer, educator, political activist, real estate businessman, and founder & editor of the Los Angeles' Liberator newspaper.
The Archive
From 1900-1914 J.L. Edmonds owned and operated The Liberator newspaper.
During that time, he had the foresight to save each issue of the paper and archive it in bound books. These volumes were passed down in the Edmonds family for over 100 years. Thanks to the work of Jefferson’s descendants Paul and Arianne Edmonds and with the help of the Los Angeles Public Library, this vestige of American history is available for public viewing.
Purchase Book
Available for Purchase at Oxnard University Press, Repreations Club, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple Books.
We Now Belong to Ourselves by Arianne Edmonds explores how the Black press shaped Black citizenship after Reconstruction through poetry, personal stories, and family archives.
About Arianne Edmonds
You could say I chose this project, but you could also say that it chose me.
When I was a kid, my grandfather, Walter Chase Edmonds II, used to point to a picture in his sitting room. It was a picture of our family — his dad’s graduating class. Next to it on the wall was a framed copy of The Liberator newspaper. He would say, “One day, this is going to be very important to you.” I forgot about it for many years.....
“I’M HERE TO TELL THE STORY OF MY FAMILY - A STORY OF AMERICA AND THE WEST.”
