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News
NNPA Commemorates Black Press Week
Event highlights legacy and continuing mission of African American publishers
Honorees for the week’s festiv-
ities included former North Car-
olina Gov. Beverly Eaves Purdue,
for pardoning the Wilmington 10;
Bruce Poinsette
Of The Skanner News
P
ublishers and journalists
from around the country
headed to Washington, D.C.
March 13, as the National News-
paper Publishers Association
Foundation celebrated its annual
Black Press Week.
According to NNPA chair Karl
B. Rodney, “The Activities of
Black Press Week are not only of
remembrance, but to chart new
courses, to determine our effec-
tiveness, and to honor those, who
have continued the tradition of the
Black Press in the advancement of
our communities and the country,
with the Torch of Freedom.”
The event featured a host of
speakers, including Minnesota
“Too long have
others spoke for
us … . We wish to
plead our own
cause”
—the editors of
Freedom’s Journal
Rep. Elijah Cummings
Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Mus-
lim to serve in Congress, and Pro-
fessor Charles Ogletree.
senior Obama advisor Valerie Jar-
rett; Dr. Maulana Karenga; Gener-
al Motors and Macy’s for
Former North Carolina Gov. Beverley Purdue with Karl Rodney
The Skanner News Publisher Bernie Foster with family members
of honored publishers who passed away last year.
spoke for us … . We wish to plead
consistent corporate support.
Joseph L. Coley Sr. and Virginia our own cause.’” In 1941, a meet-
Lucille Johnson-Taylor of the Bak- ing of Black publishers resulted in
ersfield Observer News Group, the formation of the National
and the Northwest Dispatch, Negro Publishers Association,
which was renamed the National
respectively, were honored.
In addition to awards cere- Newspaper Publishers Association
monies, the event held panel dis- in 1956.
The Skanner News publisher
cussions and a State of the Black
Press Luncheon, which featured Bernie Foster is the vice chairman
speakers discussing the Black of the NNPA Foundation.
The NNPA awarded 36 scholar-
press’s role in telling truth to
ships worth $1,000 each to student
power.
The NNPA is the manifestation scholars for the fall semester of
of 182 years of the constantly 2012. These scholarships mainly
evolving Black press. In 1827, the went to students attending Histori-
first Black publication, Freedom’s cally Black Colleges and Universi-
Journal, was established. Accord- ties majoring in journalism, mass
ing to Dr. Clint C. Wilson II, communication, English with
“Although well intentioned white emphasis in journalism or multi-
citizens sometimes defended the media.
For more information on the
honor of African Americans in
public forums, the editors of Free- NNPA, go to their website.
dom’s Journal proclaimed in the
first issue, ‘Too long have others
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