Kern County Library’s Local History Room honors Juneteenth with Telling Our Stories: The Legacy of Black Newspapers in Bakersfield, an informative and engaging program featuring local historian Katherine Jordan Morris and News Observer editor James Luckey Jr.

This program explores the powerful legacy of Black newspapers in Bakersfield, beginning with The Colored Citizen (est. 1914), one of the city’s earliest African American newspapers, and The Negro History Bulletin (est. 1937), a nationally influential publication rooted in the preservation of Black history. The discussion will also highlight the ongoing role of The News Observer and its importance in today’s media landscape.

The program will also highlight The Bakersfield News Observer, locally owned and operated since 1977, which has served Kern County for nearly 50 years. The News Observer later expanded to include the Los Angeles News Observer and The Valley News Observer, extending its reach across Southern California and continuing the tradition of community-centered journalism.

For more information about this program or the Local History room, please contact Lynne Kemmer at lynne.kemmer@kernlibrary.org.