For more than 38 years, T.C. Christian, Jr. has been publishing the monthly PURE NEWS USA, Springfield’s Black newspaper. Coinciding with Juneteenth observances, his current edition is headlined, “Our Final Issue.” The paper grew out of Christian’s grassroots organization founded in 1982, People United for Rights and Equality, which marched on city hall to protest lack of Black representation on the Springfield City Council. When the group’s early efforts got little press attention, PURE NEWS was born so Christian could “tell it like it is,” which became the paper’s slogan. A few years later, the federal Voting Rights Lawsuit paved the way for Black city council representation, and now three of the 10 council members are black. “We’re better off now than we were then,” Christian said to Illinois Times. Rarely militant or angry, PURE NEWS reported the positive news and emphasized the hopeful voices that tried to unite the Black community. Publishing hasn’t been easy, and Christian noted that 300 Black newspapers have closed in recent years. Did newspapering make him rich?, we asked. “Not financially, but from the heart,” he said as he looks forward to retirement. “I’m OK.” – Fletcher Farrar, editor
This article appears in Juneteenth 2022.
Dear Fletcher Farrar,
I was trying to contact T. C. Christian about a coming Pana event, and was led into the story Illinois Times –your story–about his retirement in a June issue of last year.
A long time ago, I did an Illinois Times story about Black Charlie Harris formerly of Southern Illinois, for, which you were my contact person.
At 83, I remain associated with Pana News-Palladium…which printed the first and thereafter many editions of Pure News for T. C. It’s that association that I want to contact him about. Hoping he is in good health as I want to invite him to the Sept. 24 dedication of the memorial monument I designed and had made for black miners and their families who perished in Pana during the coal mine war of 1898-99. They are buried in unmarked graves east of Pana in the former Pauper’s Field/City Cemetery that is now Twin Pines. For over 20 years, I wanted to create this monument. It was held up for fear it would be desecrated. But the entity now operating that along with the adjacent Linwood Cemetery denied my request. Therefore, it was set in place July 6 along the railroad right-of-way where the majority of those black miners came by train–duped into coming to work where a union strike had been ongoing. That’s enough. I want to tell this and more to T.C.
I work out of the PN-P office, from home.
I hope you can help me contact him.
Sincerely,
Millie Meyerholz,
land line 217-562-3222