Magnus Lewis Robinson (1852–1918) was an American newspaper editor, politician, and Black community leader. He was the managing editor, and co-owner of The Washington National Leader newspaper, which he founded with his brother.[1][2] Robinson was active within the Republican Party in Virginia and Washington, D.C.; as well as Masonic organizations.
Magnus Lewis Robinson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 21, 1852 Alexandria, Virginia, United States |
| Died | August 17, 1918 (aged 65) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Burial place | Bethel Cemetery, Alexandria, Virginia, United States |
| Other names | M.L. Robinson |
| Education | Howard University School of Law |
| Occupation(s) | Newspaper editor, journalist, politician, Black community leader |
| Father | Robert H. Robinson |
| Relatives | Caroline Branham (great grandmother) |
Early life and education
editMagnus Lewis Robinson was born on November 21, 1852, in Alexandria, Virginia.[3] His father was Robert H. Robinson, a noted minister and Black rights activist; and his mother was Mary Ann Warwick. His paternal grandmother was Caroline Branham, a slave at Mount Vernon the plantation estate of President George Washington.[4][5] He was educated privately.[3] He apprenticed as a baker for four years.[3]
Robinson attended law school in Washington, D.C. at the Howard University School of Law in 1868, but he did not graduate due to his poor health.[3]
Career
editAfter leaving college, he worked as a teacher for a year.[3][6] In his early career, Robinson contributed to newspapers, including The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore American, and The Lynchburg Daily News.[6] He was the first African American reporter for the Baltimore Daily Bee.[6] This was followed by founding the newspaper The Virginia Post in Harrisonburg, with his brother Robert (also known as R.B.).[6][7]
In 1880, Robinson became the secretary of the Republican Committee of Rockingham County, Virginia, and he was the first African American in the role.[6] He was also elected the secretary of the Charlottesville Congressional Convention in 1880.[6] In 1881, he represented Rockingham County at the Colored State Convention in Petersburg, Virginia.[3]
In 1888, Robinson and his brother R.B. started a new publication for African Americans in Washington, D.C. called The Washington National Leader (or The National Leader), to advocate Republican Party issues and candidates.[6] In 1890, the paper was renamed The Weekly Leader, and it was moved from Washington, D.C. to Alexandria.[6]
In 1889, Robinson was a defeated Republican candidate for alderman in Alexandria.[3] He was the president of the Fredrick Douglass Library Association;[3] and a leading member of the Colored National Press Convention.[3] Robinson was a Past Master and Past Grand Junior Deacon of the Grand Lodge No. 2 in Virginia.[8]
Death and legacy
editHe died on August 17, 1918, in Washington, D.C., and he is buried at Bethel Cemetery in Alexandria.[6]
A profile of Robinson is included in the book, The Afro-American Press and Its Editors (1891). A 1902 letter from Robinson to President Theodore Roosevelt is in the archives at the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University.[9]
References
edit
- ^ Winfree, Andrew (2019-10-03). "Magnus L. Robinson". Footprints of African Americans in Alexandria. Trafford Pub. p. 63. ISBN 978-1-4907-9589-8 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Magnus L. Robinson". The Washington Bee. 1897-05-01. p. 8. Retrieved 2024-04-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Penn, Irvine Garland (1891). The Afro-American Press and Its Editors. Willey & Company. pp. 150–154. ISBN 978-0-598-58268-3 – via Google Books.
- ^ Long, Amanda (July 1, 2011). "First Person Singular: ZSun-nee Miller-Matema, slave descendant". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
- ^ "Historic recognition: George Washington's family tree is biracial". WRIC ABC 8News. 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Alexandria's Own: Magnus Robinson" (PDF). Alexandria Times. February 8, 2018. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Rowell, George Presbury (1882). Geo. P. Rowell and Co.'s American Newspaper Directory. Geo. P. Rowell & Company. p. 995 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Article clipped from The Colored American". The Colored American. 1900-12-08. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-04-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Letter from Magnus L. Robinson to Theodore Roosevelt". Theodore Roosevelt Center (TR Center). Retrieved 2024-04-22.