T. Thomas Fortune is having a moment—one that’s long-overdue.

The influential 19th- and early 20th-century civil rights leader, journalist, and publisher was one of the leading voices of his time, but his story is under-told in today’s world.

Thanks to the dedicated work of the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation (plus a boost from a popular retro HBO series), people from across New Jersey and the world are learning about this extraordinary historical figure and the importance of the Black Press in which he was a transformative leader.

“T. Thomas Fortune fought all his life, going from being born into the bowels of slavery to becoming one of the most highly respected and uncompromising journalists of his time. He fought for a just and civil society for Black Americans, with a keen understanding that that would translate into a better society for all Americans,” said Gilda Rogers, executive director of the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center.

Watch a video featuring Suubi Mondesir, now a graduate student at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, discuss her experiences as the first Fortune Teller, a research assistant position funded with a seed grant from NJCH.

After years of work to preserve and restore Fortune’s former home in Red Bank, the Foundation re-opened it as the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center in 2019. Bolstered by the recent flurry of attention the HBO series The Gilded Age has brought to Fortune, who appears as a character in the series, and its having been recognized as a Historic Journalism Site by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Center is now creating a permanent exhibit titled “The Black Press: Stewards of Democracy.”

“New Jersey residents and those beyond will receive a greater understanding of the importance of being civic-minded in the face of adversity, because that’s how change happens and this is something that leaders and members of the Black Press demonstrated.”

The exhibit illuminates the role of the Black Press (newspaper publishers, journalists, writers, photojournalists), and the significant role it played in shaping the validity of democracy in the nation.

The Black Press reported on issues that affected the Black community, while rejecting the horrors of racism through heightened activism. Collectively, the Black Press changed the racial dynamic and social landscape of American society.

“Journalism students and others alike will be surprised at how much they will learn about the Black Press, through a democratic lens and a prism of Black activism,” Rogers said. “New Jersey residents and those beyond will receive a greater understanding of the importance of being civic-minded in the face of adversity, because that’s how change happens and this is something that leaders and members of the Black Press demonstrated.”