Our History
Our History
William “Bill” Blair was born on October 17, 1921, in
B. F. Durrell Elementary and graduated from Booker T. Washington.
In 1946, Mr. Blair began pitching for the Indianapolis Clowns, one of 12 old Negro League Baseball teams. These teams spawned such greats as Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson.
In 1949, Mr. Blair established the Southwest Sports News, a newspaper that published scores from African American college games across the United States. The newspaper was circulated to all major black colleges throughout the country.
In 1951, Mr. Blair left baseball because of an injury to his pitching arm. He continued to publish the Southwest Sports News. Even though Mr. Blair loved sports, he recognized the need for black churches to have a voice in the city of Dallas. As Political, Educational, and Economic, unrest led to the Civil Rights Movement and race riots grew, Mr Blair decided that the blacks needed a sound media voice to “Tell It Like It Is.” As a result, in
1960, the Southwest Sports News changed its name to the Elite News. The motto became “Black News for Black People.”
The Elite News newspaper was widely read in the black community. It highlighted the black churches, and black people making a difference in their community, politics, as well as sports in the community.
For 45 years, the Elite News has been “Devoted to nothing, but the TRUTH,” and as Mr. Blair puts it, “I’m not telling you what I heard, I’m telling you what I know.”
The Elite News has gone through many face-lifts, but it remains “The official voice of the Church and community.
In 1996, Jordan Blair became the publisher Remembering his father’s words: “The spoken word is like the air, but the printed word is always there,” Jordan Blair takes the dream to the next level. Blacks in Dallas have a powerful voice. Standing on a solid foundation of proven success, he continues to serve the community with integrity and compassion.
