The Brownies' Book was the first magazine published for African-American children and youth. Its creation was mentioned in the yearly children's issue of The Crisis in October 1919. The first issue was published during the Harlem Renaissance in January 1920, with issues published monthly until December 1921. It is cited as an "important moment in literary history" for establishing black children's literature in the United States.
Background
The magazine was created by three people, all of whom were also involved with The Crisis, a magazine associated with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Its editor was W. E. B. Du Bois, one of the founders of the NAACP, and its business manager was Augustus Granville Dill. The magazine's literary editor was Jessie Redmon Fauset.
Each year, The Crisis published an issue referred to as the "Children's Number", which included stories, photographs, games, poetry, and educational achievements of black children. These issues also contained more serious information, particularly about political events and lynchings in the United States; Du Bois covered lynchings and violent attacks on black Americans because he was concerned about the effects that reports of these incidents would have on black children.
In the October 1919 "Children's Number" issue of The Crisis, Du Bois wrote a column titled "The True Brownies" announcing the impending publication of The Brownies' Book, stating that the first issue would be released the following month. He also stated that it was "designed for all children, but especially for ours", with a target audience of children and youth between six and 16 years old. Dill and Du Bois established Du Bois and Dill Publishers in New York City to publish each issue of The Brownies' Book.
One of the goals of the magazine was to dispel the "grotesque stereotypes" of the "Dark Continent", a disparaging term used for Africa and its people. Middle-class African-American children "consumed this propaganda along with the white children who were its implied audience" in children's literary works such as those of the magazine St. Nicholas. The 1919 article "The True Brownies" included commentary by Du Bois discussing children, stating that "to seek to raise them in ignorance of their racial identity and peculiar situation is inadvisable—impossible", in which the use of the phrase "peculiar situation" is an allusion to the euphemism "peculiar institution", meaning slavery. Du Bois believed children should be taught their racial identity and social situation. The name of the magazine is derived from the folkloric brownies, creatures who were said to complete household chores at night in exchange for food, alluding to African Americans being used as servants, but the term is used as signification in the "oppressive literary-historical context". Specifically, the creators wanted to "make colored children realize that being 'colored' is a normal beautiful thing".
Another goal was to expand the canon of black children's literature, in which fiction and fantasy were rare, and to encourage youth participation in the NAACP. It also intended to develop The Talented Tenth, capable African Americans in the top decile who could become leaders in the black community.
The seven goals stated in "The True Brownies" were:
Content and editing
Each issue was published on good quality paper, the cover of each designed by prominent black artists. Its format and layout was similar to that of The Crisis, and it contained little advertising. Illustrations and photographs complemented the varied content, which included poetry, literature, biographies of successful black people, music, games, plays, and current events. Biographies included those for Phillis Wheatley, the first published African-American woman, Bert Williams, a popular entertainer of the Vaudeville era, and Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and women's rights activist that had been born into slavery. The advertising it did include promoted black children's literature not typically available in bookstores. Each issue cost 15 cents, with a yearly subscription costing .