Philip Alexander Bell

Philip Alexander bell (1808--1889), a newspaper editor, slavery abolitionists, effort on equal right movement both in New York and San Francisco. He is the establisher of newspapers of New York's Weekly Advocate, Pacific Appeal, and The Elevator.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Early life

Birth and childhood

Philip Alexander Bell was born in 1808 in New York City. His parents are Alexander Bell and Letty Bell. He shows his talent on writing since he was young, and a teacher who was teaching in New York City's African Free School was adoring his intelligent and led him on writing study.^[1]^[2]

Early political activities

January 1831, Bell attended a meeting called colored citizens of New York at Boyer lodge room, and it states that African American will regard US as their both home.^[1]

1831, Bell went to the First Annual Convention of the people of Color in Philadelphia as the representative of New York City. This convention appealed the abolition of slavery and affirmed the quality of all the people of color in US.^[1]

Career

First job

In 1831, Bell worked as an agent in a newspaper named Liberator in New York City. He had chance to work with Frederick Douglass, Henry Garnet and Martin Delany, who are influential activators of abolitionist at that time.^[2]

New York's Weekly Advocate

In 1837, New York's Weekly Advocate was created by Bell and Charles Ray, later on, they changed the name to be Colored American.^[1] In New York's Weekly Advocate, the essence is to promote progress for people of color in ethic, spiritual, and political areas. When it changed to be Colored American, the significant idea evolute to be "..designed to be the organ of Colored Americans" in order to pursue their benefit, speak their opinion, communicate with public, eliminate bias and discrimination.^[3]

Pacific Appeal

During 1840s to 1850s, California transferred from Mexican province to US state, and this new state suddenly became the paradise for free African Americans.

In 1860, Bell moved to San Francisco and took membership in Black community. He started working on getting the right for African American in the court to speak testimony as a witness. ^[1]

1861, Bell and Peter Anderson established the newspaper called San Francisco Pacific Appeal.

Pacific Appeal was related with colored and White citizens in Pacific Coast, and it also has a very reliable status for both Pacific Coast people and Eastern Coast people in almost all kinds of political movements.^[4] The position of Pacific Appeal almost equal to the best magazine, and it takes five dollars per year, and 1.25 dollars per month, people around America can get it by mail.^[4]

Pacific Appeal advocates humanity, justice, and equal rights for all colored American. In one parts in Pacific Appeal, Bell wrote:

Exiles in our native land, aliens in the country that gave us birth, outlaws for no crime, proscribed without offense, amenable to the laws without being protected by them, thus stand, innocent victims of an unholy and unrighteous prejudice--truly our condition is most deplorable. (Pacific Appeal, 12 April 1862)^[1]

However, sooner, Bell and Anderson disagreed with each other, and Bell left Pacific Appeal.

The Elevator

In April 1865, Philip Alexander Bell created his own newspaper The Elevator, as a source to advocate equal education and voting rights for African American.^[1]In the newspaper, Bell held the position: "equality before the law" as it main idea, and he met many Black followers who firmly support him.^[2]

One thing that makes The Elevator special from other "equal right" magazine is that other political leaders are not willing to arrange public protest and solidify black community, but Bell's active abolition career brings his writing a confident and passionate style. at this time, most of mainstream media disagreed with African Americans have voting right because people believe that African Americans have inferior brain than White American people.^[2]Therefore, Bell used a strategy that emphasizes the equal loyalty between both White and Black American.^[2]

Personal life

Philip Alexander Bell never married with any people, neither has any children. He spend most of his money on local women charity.^[1]

Death

In the mid-1880s, due to long time hard working, Philip Alexander Bell got healthy problem, his body condition continued decline and it forced him to give up his work and retire^[2]. four years before he dead, he lived with Palace Hotel kitchen's donation. On April 25, 1889, he dead in San Francisco, and got highly appreciate by others. Judge Mifflin W. Gibbs said that he is full of intelligent and humanity as a great journalist.^[1]Sociologist William W. Brown described Bell as "Napoleon of the colored press."^[2]

References

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