African-American Newspaper Available in Digital Media Repository

The headline on January 10, 1991, simply read, “A newspaper is born.” This was the first issue of The Muncie Times. According to that first editorial, Muncie was joining “that elite group” of cities that “boast African American newspapers.”

Now students, faculty, and other researchers can access digital copies of this rich resource on local African-American life, history, and culture through Ball State’s Digital Media Repository at http://libx.bsu.edu The first two years of The Muncie Times are currently available and more years will be added on a regular basis until all back issues and current issues are accessible.

According to Bea Moten-Foster, founder and publisher of the Muncie Times, the bi-monthly newspaper has “provided an avenue and platform for African-Americans to share information in their communities.” When it celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2000, Ms. Foster said, “The Times has outgrown its original mission of simply reporting the news and is now a social force in the African-American community.”

Students exploring African-American history will find articles on national topics, such as “A Special Tribute to Martin Luther King,” “Gulf War Could Produce Many Black Casualties,” and “Black History Month.” In addition, the newspaper is a source of information on local issues. Feature articles include such subjects as “Munsonians Who Made a Difference” and a calendar of African-American history events. The publication contains many photographs that can now be searched through the Digital Media Repository.

The Muncie Times currently reaches several thousand residents of East Central Indiana each month. The Muncie Times digital collection provides access to this valuable resource to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

World War II Film Collection Featured on CONTENTdm Website

A selection of more than 100 World War II films in the Digital Media Repository is a “featured collection” on both the CONTENTdm main homepage (www.contemtdm.com) and the customer’s index (www.contentdm.com/customers). This collection consists of short films and news clips, primarily in black and white, documenting Allied operations and activities during WWII.

In addition to footage of campaigns in Europe and in the Pacific, the films document activities on the home front, including the efforts of African-American colleges and farmers, the relocation and internment of Japanese civilians, and the victory garden program sponsored by the U.S. Office of Civilian Defense.