[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 150 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                     HONORING THE ARIZONA INFORMANT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GREG STANTON

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 24, 2021

  Mr. STANTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
congratulate the Arizona Informant on 50 years of excellence in 
reporting on our state's most important issues. Since its start, the 
paper's motto has been: ``98% of Our News You Won't Find in Any Other 
News Media in Arizona,'' and it's delivered on that, shining a light on 
members of our community. For five decades, the paper has chronicled 
stories of Black Americans. It has reported on the importance of 
African American representation in Arizona politics, racial disparities 
in the criminal justice system, the need to improve policing in 
communities of color, and the stories of resilience throughout the 
COVID-19 pandemic. But most importantly, it has documented the history, 
successes, and leadership of African Americans in our community.
  The newspaper was founded by Cloves Campbell, Sr., Arizona's first 
Black state senator, and his brother Charles Campbell, a respected and 
accomplished educator. They knew firsthand that the press of the '50s 
and '60s rarely told the full story on any issue affecting communities 
of color that seldom came across the newswire. Too often, mainstream 
media coverage of Black Americans focused mostly on large Civil Rights 
demonstrations. Those stories usually covered the events themselves and 
rarely took the time to tell what happened after these influential 
demonstrations, nor the work of Black Americans whose brave and 
courageous actions made those events possible. As they lived through 
this history, Cloves and Charles realized they could tell these stories 
better themselves--and so they did.
  In 1971, with just $1, Charles and Cloves bought the Arizona 
Informant and transformed it into the paper we know now. Today, as much 
of Arizona and national media suffer from shrinking readership, the 
paper is seeing growth, boasting 100,000 weekly readers. The Arizona 
Informant remains Arizona's only Black-owned weekly newspaper. The 
paper also uses the influence of its non-profit foundation, the Arizona 
Informant Foundation, to provide and develop valuable resources and 
opportunities to help build and bolster Black and African American 
communities in Arizona.
  For 50 years, the paper has successfully captured the history of our 
community--bringing important issues and voices into the spotlight. As 
our country continues to see disparities in the Black community and 
communities of color, we are reminded that we need outlets that see and 
embrace their identity, as members of the community they cover, not as 
a ``bias'' but as an asset to report the truth. Journalism needs more 
outlets like the Arizona Informant who not only do quality journalism 
but do so with newsrooms that reflect and empathize with the 
communities and issues they carefully cover.
  The Campbell brothers and the Informant remind us that diversity is 
essential, not only to the success of journalism, but to the success 
and vibrancy of our community. Their spirit lives on with Cloves' son, 
Cloves Campbell, Jr., who has followed in his father's footsteps and 
continued his legacy of journalistic excellence as publisher of the 
newspaper.
  I thank the Arizona Informant for being a pillar of our community. 
Congratulations on 50 years of reporting with integrity and diligence 
on the issues that matter most to Arizona. Here's to the next 50 years 
and beyond.

                          ____________________