By CYNTHIA POST (www.atlantadailyworld.com)
William A. Scott II and Cornelius Adolphus Scott had a far-reaching effect over the newspaper they helped build, as well as the Black Press in general.
Before the emergence of the Black Press 181 years ago, African Americans did not have the opportunity to read about the successes, marriages, births or deaths of those in their community.
African-American newspaper publishers, such as W.A. Scott II and his brother, C.A. Scott, were responsible for correcting those omissions.
A visionary, master salesman and lover of competition, W.A. Scott II, at age 25, founded the Atlanta World on Aug. 5, 1928. By 1930, the newspaper was one of the most widely-circulated Black papers in the South.
The highly successful weekly grew rapidly. On March 12, 1932, the Atlanta World became a daily newspaper, and by lasting for decades in that capacity, it became the first successful Black daily newspaper in the country.
The World also spawned a chain of Black newspapers across the country.
With the Atlanta World as its leading newspaper, the Scott Newspaper Syndicate was responsible for the publication of over 50 African-American newspapers nationwide, making it the first and largest Black newspaper chain, with a circulation of over 80,000.
The paper became a tool Scott used to address social injustices.
He used the paper to raise funds for nine African-American youths falsely accused of raping White girls in the infamous 1930s Scottsboro Boys trials.
The paper also received national advertisers such as The Coca-Cola Company.
Looking beyond his mushrooming publishing empire, W.A. developed a keen interest in other business ventures, including real estate and broadcasting.
However, his plans for the future were cut short by an assassin’s bullet on Feb. 4, 1934. W.A.
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