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Caddo Parish Commission honors century-plus legacy of the Shreveport Sun
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Summary
The Caddo Parish Commission unanimously adopted a special resolution recognizing the Shreveport Sun’s more than 100 years of service, citing its role documenting Black life since its founding in 1920 and noting the paper’s final print edition dated June 27, 2025.
The Caddo Parish Commission on Feb. 2026 unanimously adopted a special resolution recognizing the historic role of the Shreveport Sun, a weekly Black-owned newspaper founded on Nov. 6, 1920, that published its final print edition on June 27, 2025.
The resolution, read into the record by the clerk, praised the Sun for documenting the social, cultural and civic life of Northwest Louisiana and for serving as a “powerful voice for truth, justice, and equity.” Commissioner Gage Watts moved to adopt the special resolutions in section 8 in global fashion and proposed an amendment to include flying the flags of Caddo Parish at Halstead in a remembrance for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.; the motion carried unanimously.
The ceremonial portion included letters and tributes from longtime readers and community leaders. Reverend Dr. Alastair Brown submitted a letter recounting his decades of reading and supporting the paper; he identified himself as a founder of the Caddo Parish Teachers Credit Union and said the Sun nourished the community. "The Sun supported the legacy of sound education in the community," the letter reads.
Willie Burton III addressed the commission during the presentation, placing the paper in historical context and describing its founding by Melvin Lee Collins Sr. in 1920. "I stand to speak about the Shreveport Sun and its historical importance to the African Americans in Shreveport and throughout Northwest Louisiana," Burton said, recounting the Sun’s role reporting on segregated-era injustices and preserving local Black history.
Commissioners and community members, including representatives of Delta Sigma Theta and local subscribers, spoke in support of the resolution and noted the paper’s value as an archival record. The commission arranged a group photo and agreed to deliver presentation copies to recipients who could not attend.
The resolution states the commission’s appreciation to the Collins family, the Sun’s leadership and staff "for their more than a century of service to journalism, civil discourse, and the African American community." The body adopted the resolution during the regular session and entered the recognition into the official record.
