📰 Why I Resurrected McClure Magazine
And Why It Still Matters
“The past began it. The present fights it. The future hears it.”
Over a hundred years ago, McClure’s Magazine helped ignite a movement.
At the dawn of the 20th century, it dared to do something dangerous: tell the truth about power. It published the kind of investigative reporting that made monopolists squirm, politicians sweat, and ordinary people think. It helped launch the muckraker era—exposing corruption, championing reform, and refusing to stay silent in the face of injustice.
Naturally, the powerful hated it. They did what powerful people always do when the truth threatens their comfort: they tried to destroy it. Eventually, they won. The magazine folded in the early 1900s. Telling the truth was bad business back then—just like it often is now.
But here we are again.
Thanks to the internet and social media, we have new tools. We may not have the reach of corporate newsrooms. We may not have billionaire backing or advertiser protection. But we do have something McClure’s once had—and that matters more than ever:
A refusal to stay quiet.
A Legacy—And a Reckoning
So why bring back the name of a defunct, century-old rag?
Because I’m connected to it—literally. I’m a distant relative of Samuel Sidney McClure, the magazine’s original founder. I’m also related to another Samuel McClure, who operated a stop on the Underground Railroad in Ohio. And yes, my family tree also includes Confederates and outlaws.
Like most Americans, I inherited a complicated legacy. A mix of oppression and resistance. Of power and protest. Of shame and struggle.
We don’t choose our ancestors. But we do choose what kind of ancestors we’re going to be.
The powerful may have won that first round—they shut the magazine down and silenced voices that spoke too loudly. But the win was temporary.
Because here we are, a century later, with another McClure bucking the system.
This time, I’ve got a keyboard, an internet connection, and a platform that doesn’t ask permission.
The tools have changed. The fight hasn’t.
What You’ll Find Here
McClure Magazine isn’t chasing clicks or courting sponsors. It’s here to challenge hypocrisy, speak up for justice, and tell the stories legacy media won’t. Think of it as:
- A watchdog with a long memory
- A flashlight for modern-day exploitation
- A notebook for stories that still matter—whether the powerful like it or not
Sometimes that means satire. Sometimes it means storytelling. Sometimes it’s calling out the lies we’ve been taught—or the silence we’ve accepted. Always, it’s about accountability.
One Day, Today Will Be History
We’re all part of the American story. The question is what role we play—and what legacy we leave.
Oppression is winning a lot of battles right now. But the fight isn’t over. And history isn’t finished. We’re writing it—right now—with every word, every post, every stand we take.
When my descendants look back, I want them to know exactly where I stood.
And if they ever wonder what one voice can do in the face of power, I want them to know:
I didn’t whisper.
I didn’t wait.
I wrote it down.
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