Underground Newspapers: Berkeley Tribe

The Berkeley Tribe was an underground newspaper published in Berkeley, California from 1969-1972. It was founded by striking staff of the Berkeley Barb, another alternative paper. The Tribe was published weekly, with most copies being sold by vendors on the street. The covers and inside pages were hard-hitting, graphic, and featured provocative illustrations and cartoons. Early issues of the Tribe were brightened by the graphic touch of Gary Grimshaw, who contributed artwork, hand-lettered headlines and other visual touches. (Grimshaw is best known for his poster designs for concerts and political events in Detroit and Ann Arbor, and for his work with the White Panther Party in those cities.)

Thanks to the Independent Voices project, almost the entire run of the Berkeley Tribe is now available online, in nicely scanned and well-presented format. Independent Voices features over 15,000 underground, alternative, feminist, gay, and GI-organizing publications from the 1960s-80s.

The Berkeley Tribe is collected here.

(Above): June 26-July 3, 1970.