African American newspapers are those newspapers in the Unite States that seek readers primarily of African American descent. These newspapers came into existence in 1827 when Samuel Cornish and John Brown Russwurm started the first African-American periodical called Freedom's Journal. During the antebellum South, other African American newspapers sprang forth, such as The North Star founded by Frederick Douglass. As African Americans moved to urban centers around the country, virtually every large city with a significant African American population soon had newspapers directed towards African Americans. Today, these newspapers have gained audiences outside of African American circles.