Black History Month: T. Thomas Fortune Remembered As Powerhouse Of Journalism, Advocate For African-American Economics

RED BANK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- In continuing coverage of Black History Month, CBS2 is focusing on an African-American national historic landmark in New Jersey that was saved from ruin.

As Meg Baker reported Monday, it tells the story of T. Thomas Fortune, a key figure in the Black press.

Fortune was born into slavery in Florida in 1856 and freed after the Emancipation Proclamation. As a biracial child, he worked as a page in the Senate and wrote down what he learned to share it with others. He later moved to Brooklyn and owned three newspapers -- the New York Globe, The Freeman and the New York Age.

In 1901 he moved to Red Bank with his family.

"He was a force in journalism. Most people, you know, recognize he was, but, unfortunately, he has existed in obscurity," said Gilda Rogers, executive director of the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation. "He has been called a bridge to the modern day civil rights movement. He's a trailblazer because he's opening the doors for organizing, political organizing. He's using his newspaper as a bully pulpit to speak out on the failure reconstruction, lynching."

The house had fallen into disrepair. Rogers was a driving force, bringing awareness to who Fortune was and why funds were needed to save the landmark.

"Fortune was progressive in economics, and, you know, trying to create a foundation, economically, for African-American people. He started a national Afro business and investment corporation to help African-American people at that time be able to purchase homes, because, obviously,we could not walk into a bank and get a loan," Rogers said.

With a lot of help, the home was restored, with the original staircase, fireplace, front door and more preserved. Kerwin Webb is the board chair. He said Fortune's writings are still relevant.

"He wrote about economic independence and the capacity of African-American people, the need to and capacity of them, to actually build their own institutions, to help build their communities," Webb said.

The group that runs the center hopes it attracts young people to come and learn their local history and find some inspiration.

"One of the programs that we have is a 'Fortune tellers,' program," Webb said. "Our belief is that in young people we have everything that we need to actually change the dynamic of society. We just need the opportunity and the space to help them cultivate those gifts that they already have."

"It sounds like you really focus on the arts here. Why is that so important?" Baker asked.

"Because the arts are transcending. The arts help people see things in a different way. The arts give us a new perspective," Rogers said.

Rogers said Fortune teaches the importance of using your voice. One of his poems titled "There is No Death" hangs on the wall. The last line is "I shall live again," and, indeed, he is through the new cultural center.

CBS2's Meg Baker contributed to this report.