TAMPA, Fla. — ABC Action News is celebrating Black History Month in February by bringing to light some lesser-known Black Americans who made a major difference in the lives of people living in the Tampa Bay area.
“C. Blythe Andrews came to Tampa from Jacksonville in the 1930s and he first worked in the insurance business," Fred Hearns, Historian at Tampa Bay History Center said. “Beginning in 1945 until around 1990, he was the publisher of the Florida Sentinel Bulletin newspaper. Florida Sentinel Bulletin newspaper for many, many years was published twice a week.”
“Today, it’s published once a week. It’s the only Black-owned newspaper in the state of Florida that owns all of its own printing press equipment and that equipment was purchased by C. Blythe Andrews many, many years ago," Hearns said.
The Florida Sentinel Bulletin Newspaper provided needed journalism for Tampa Bay’s Black population. A place where Black journalists could highlight their communities.
“The Florida Sentinel Bulletin newspaper brought news to Black people that they couldn’t get from the daily newspapers. They brought a lot of positive news, society news, information about things that Black people were doing on a positive note all over the world, and the Florida Sentinel Bulletin newspaper also provided employment for dozens of young men who sold the newspaper on street corners, delivered them to places of business all throughout the city. The Florida Sentinel Bulletin newspaper is still one of the leading publications in the state of Florida.”
