Philip Alexander Bell (1808–1889) was a 19th-century American newspaper editor and abolitionist. Born in New York City, he was educated at the African Free School[1] and became politically active at the 1832 Colored Convention. He began his newspaper career with for William Lloyd Garrison's anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator[1] and became an outspoken voice on a variety of social and political of issues of the day including abolition, suffrage, and the protection of fugitive slaves.
Philip Alexander Bell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1808 |
| Died | 1889 (aged 80–81) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Newspaper editor |
| Years active | 1830-1889 |
| Known for | Opposition to slavery, support for black citizenship and suffrage in the United States |
| Notable work | Weekly Advocate, Pacific Appeal, The Elevator |
In 1837, he founded The Weekly Advocate newspaper, edited by Samuel Cornish. The paper was later renamed The Colored American and co-owned by Charles Bennett Ray. In 1860, he moved to San Francisco where he became co-editor of the African-American newspaper The Pacific Appeal. After the Civil War he founded and edited The San Francisco Elevator during the Reconstruction Era.[2][3][4][5]
Bell died on April 24, 1889.[6]