Mid-State observer, 1978-1979
(Document/manuscript/pamphlet/archival material)

Arrangement: Chronological

Materials housed in Special Collections Division of the Main Library, Nashville Public Library.

In library use only. Available by appointment.

Scope and content: Sixteen issues of The Mid-State Observer, an African-American newspaper published in Nashville, Tenn. starting in July 1978. Topics include local and state politics; high school and college sports; schools; religious news (from both Christian and Muslim points of view); music; theater; small businesses and business owners; housing; editorials; and discussion of racism, discrimination, and economic conditions. Frequent articles appear about events and people in Nashville's predominantly-black neighborhoods of the time, including: North Nashville, South Nashville, Cameron-Trimble, Bordeaux, and the Jefferson Street area. Prominent individuals such as Dr. Matthew Walker, Charles Kimbrough, and the Boyd and Lillard families are also frequently mentioned. The paper provided coverage of special events such as the annual Black Expo and the meeting of the National Business League in Nashville in 1978. There are also occasional news articles about the African-American community's solidarity and response to acts of violence or intimidation by the Ku Klux Klan in Nashville.

Holdings: July 27, 1978 (v. 1 no. 1) to Apr. 14, 1979 (v. 2 no. 7); with some gaps.

Cite as: Mid-State Observer, [volume, number, issue date], manuscript collections, Special Collections Division, Nashville Public Library

Nashville Public Library does not have intellectual property rights to these materials. This material is protected by Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S. Code).

Subscription;,1980-1981.,Acc. RT-400

Related Materials: The Metropolitan Weekly, a subsequent newspaper published by Sam Latham for Nashville's black community, is also held by the Special Collections Division.

The Mid-State Observer was begun by publisher Sam Latham in July 1978 and was designed to be a publication about and of interest to African-Americans residing in Nashville, Tennessee. It is unclear if the publication continued or ceased after Apr. 14, 1979 (the last issue in the library's holdings), but by the fall of 1980, he was publishing a different title, the Metropolitan Weekly.

In English.

This publication was likely acquired and held by the Periodicals Division of the Nashville Public Library prior to its transfer to the Special Collections Division at an undetermined date, probably sometime before 2001.

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No further accruals are expected.