Stephen J. Boykin was born in an unincorporated area of Wilcox County, Alabama, around 1859, became a self-educated man, and began working as a laborer at a lumber mill. Dedicated to improving educational opportunities for black students, he founded the Normal School in Douglasville, a Bay Minette community, in 1899, the first school for black students in Baldwin County. He married Carrie Taylor in 1906, and they raised eight children. From his home in Bay Minette and later his Douglasville home, Boykin wrote, edited, and published The American Banner, a widely circulated newspaper written primarily for the black community. Issued twice monthly from September 1899 through February 1902 and sold for $1 a year, it circulated in Baldwin, Mobile, Escambia, and Clarke counties, carrying local news, advertisements, letters, and columns such as "Race Gleanings" and "Race Notes." The paper supported racial pride long before blacks were granted the right to vote, drew support from local white business owners who advertised in it, and reflected Boykin’s aim of inspiring men and women of all ages to do great things, make positive decisions, and represent their race well so that others would take note of their accomplishments.