Provincial Freeman (newspaper)

The Provincial Freeman was a Canadian weekly newspaper founded in 1853 by Mary Ann Shadd, a Black activist and writer. The paper was created to help raise awareness within the Black community for issues including anti-slavery efforts, civil rights movements and to advocate for black independence, with a particular emphasis on Black emigration to Canada. The Provincial Freeman was the first newspaper published by an African American woman, as well as the first Canadian newspaper published by a woman. The Provincial Freeman has been recognized by scholars as an early example of Black journalism. The Provincial Freeman featured the work of many abolitionists, including the Shadd family, who helped the paper circulate in Canada and the northern United States until it ceased publication in 1857.

After the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which mandated the capture and return of Black people who had escaped slavery, Shadd saw an opportunity to start a newspaper representing the voices of free Black individuals. At the time, Black communities faced systemic racism in various ways including the many who were still enslaved, denied basic rights, or struggled to build fulfilling lives in the United States. She used the newspaper to advocate for emigration to Canada, which she saw promoted due to its better social conditions compared to the United States.

The Provincial Freeman was the first newspaper published by an African American woman and the first Canadian newspaper published by a woman. It described itself as "Devoted to anti-slavery, temperance, and general literature." The paper also emphasized the belief that “self-reliance is the true road to independence.”