covered African-American issues across the nation in various topics
llie Sims originally ran The Negro Star while he lived in Greenwood, Mississippi. However,
the city sheriff and others made Sims unwelcome there after he wrote a tribute to the black
soldiers of World War I.[2]: 241 Sims and his wife therefore moved their family, along with
two other families involved in the Star's production, to Wichita, Kansas in 1919.[2]: 244
Sims and his family were very involved with both the newspaper and the community (among
other activities, Sims founded the Wichita chapter of the NAACP). At the time of the move,
the Star's assistant editor was W. S. Moore. Sims' brother Hugh also worked at the Star, as
did B. H. Neely, who partnered with Sims to form the Kansas Coal and Mercantile
Company.[2]: 244 For a period in 1934–35, the paper tapped Bennie Williams as a sports
editor.[2]: 244, 248
The Sims continued to publish the Star until 1953; Virginia Sims wrote in January, "Because
of Editor Sims [sic] continued weak condition, we are giving up printing; [the Star] goes
into new hands later this week".[3] The paper continued as The Post Observer until July
1953[4] and the Wichita Post Observer until July 1954.[5]