Two of the longest running family-owned African American publications in the nation have found a home on a single website, Afro.com — a perch from which they can compete for a larger audience, according to Khalil Abdullah, the managing editor for The Afro in Washington.

“The Afro-American Newspapers are 113 years old. We have a loyal following, but the loyal following is getting older and they might not be passing on the legacy to the younger generation,” he said. “We have found that the site has allowed our readership to diversify and grow.”

Afro-American Newspapers runs The Afro in Baltimore and The Afro in Washington, two print publications that reach out to two different target markets, according to Abdullah.

“The cities have different economic statuses: the Baltimore readership is comprised of blue collar workers, while most of the Washington D.C. workforce is employed by the government,” Abdullah said.

But by establishing Afro.com, Afro-American Newspapers has been able to combine the contents of both papers in order to reach out to a national audience.

“The site consists of news story postings that the national African American audience would benefit from,” Abdullah said. “Since there is no single national publication that targets the black community, we try to create that with the site.”

One of the things that Afro.com prides itself on is its archives. Since the papers were established in the late 1800s, they have a large database of original images and documents that can be drawn on to complement current stories, according to Abdullah.

“When we covered the death of Rosa Parks, we were able to use photos that were published in our publications from the 50s, when Ms. Parks was first recognized for her actions,” he said. “Our history allows us to add a dimension to a story that other sites can’t.”

The Afro-American Newspapers were established in 1892 by former slave John H. Murphy. Fourth generation members of the Murphy family, John J. Oliver, Jr. and Frances M. Draper, continue to manage the papers today.

Over the past few years, the electronic newsletter Black Voices has struggled to find an audience. But now, with new leadership and a new online format, the publication is set to take off.

Black Voices is sponsored by the Black Student Assembly at the University of Southern California in an effort to connect students to the community and each other. The publication highlights student achievements both inside and outside the classroom and also serves as a source of news, sports updates and entertainment.

It’s going to be “a way for black students to feel a deeper connection to the campus and each other,” said Angela Flournoy, a junior at USC and the new Black Voices editor-in-chief.

When Flournoy took the position, she inherited a publication without a steady running date or even a permanent staff. So shortly after taking the helm, she announced a major shake-up.

Instead of the electronic newsletter format, Black Voices will now be a full-fledged e-magazine with monthly updates. Depending on the extent of student involvement, it may eventually move to bi-monthly updates.

“I decided to make Black Voices an online magazine because I wanted it to be accessible to students at all times. The majority of the magazine’s stories are feature-length, so I wanted students to be able to read them at their leisure,” Flournoy said.

Flournoy hopes the new online format will allow the publication to gain a larger readership and allow students outside of the USC community to become involved as well.

It will also become more interactive in nature – allowing readers to post comments and opinions.

Additionally, Flournoy has announced the establishment of a permanent staff, ranging from section editors and graphic designers to advertising and public relations associates.

“There are many African-American students who are interested in journalism but aren’t contributing to on-campus journalism,” she said. “I think this is due to the lack of choices when it comes to on-campus publications. Black Voices is a place where these students can feel free to write the stories they want to write and where they can find an audience.”

Black Voices will also contain a submission section where writers, artists and poets – even those who aren’t staff writers – can showcase examples of their work.

The revamped version is scheduled to launch its first issue Sept. 27. Subsequent issues will be released the second Tuesday of each month.

“I am really excited to see how Black Voices evolves this year,” Flournoy said. “I want to take [it] to another level.”

Still in its formative stages, Black Voices is accepting students who would like to contribute. E-mail [email protected] to see about available positions.