94 Years of Uplift, Protest, Resilience: The A&T Register, 1915–2009

The A&T Register, the student newspaper at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, has shaped protest consciousness and upheld the tradition of the Black Press for more than a century. This close reading of 1,400 front pages and selected editorials published between 1915 and 2009 analyzes the newspaper’s content through the lens of James Carey’s ritual model of communication. It argues the newspaper has functioned as a mirror and a catalyst for student activism, cultural pride, and community building over its long history. From early coverage that reflected Booker T. Washington’s philosophy of racial uplift through bold expressions of protest and inclusion during the Sit-In movement and beyond, The A&T Register has served as a vital instrument of historical documentation and cultural formation. This study argues that college newspapers such as The A&T Register warrant more attention in the historiography of the Black press ecosystem.