James S. Tinney was a minister, activist, and leading authority on the history of the Black press and Black Pentecostalism. He was also an assistant professor of journalism at the Howard University School of Communications. Previously, he served as assistant to the editor of the Kansas City Call, and then as the editor of the Washington Afro-American newspaper. His more than 200 articles appeared in scores of newspapers, magazines, and journals, including Black Scholar, Christianity Today, and Christian Century.