The Florida Star

Eric O. Simpson founded The Florida Star in 1951. At the time, mainstream media largely ignored the stories of Jacksonville's African-American community, and the paper was created to give that community its own newspaper. In the 1950s and '60s it became a powerful force for civil rights: it advocated for government reforms, endorsed Black political candidates and kept readers informed about key social justice movements.

Simpson led the paper until his death in 1994. In 2003 he was posthumously inducted into the Florida Press Association Hall of Fame, the first African-American to receive that honor. His wife, Mary Wooten Simpson, and later their daughter, Erica Simpson, continued to grow the paper.

In 2002 media pioneer Clara McLaughlin bought the paper, and in 2007 she launched a Georgia edition, The Georgia Star. Under her leadership the paper was recognized by the Jacksonville City Council and received the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's first Eagle Award. Since 2021 her daughter, Rinetta McLaughlin Fefie, has managed both papers.

The Florida Star is a member of the Florida Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

Good to know

• A weekly newspaper with a weekly e-edition
• The office is inside the Masonic Lodge on Broad Street

Official website