#NNPA BlackPress

Marcus Garvey, Frances Murphy Enshrined into Black Press Gallery of Distinguished Publishers

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Nationalist, Pan-Africanism movement leader and Negro World newspaper founder Marcus Mosiah Garvey and Washington AFRO-AMERICAN publisher emeritus Francis L. Murphy II, were enshrined into the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Gallery of Distinguished Publishers during Black Press Week in Washington, D.C.

Published

8 years ago

March 23, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Nationalist, Pan-Africanism movement leader and Negro World newspaper founder Marcus Mosiah Garvey and Washington AFRO-AMERICAN publisher emeritus Francis L. Murphy II, were enshrined into the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Gallery of Distinguished Publishers during Black Press Week in Washington, D.C.

Garvey was also a noted figure in the publishing world where for five-cents, readers of his newspaper received a front-page editorial written by him along with poetry and articles of international interest to people of African ancestry.

Murphy, a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore, who received her bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Wisconsin and degrees from Coppin State College and Johns Hopkins University, believed the AFRO belonged to the community. As its publisher, every year she would invite readers to write their family histories and send them in along with historical pictures.

“My mother wrote a column called ‘If you asked me,’ so I believe if my mother was here today she would say, ‘if you asked me, it’s certainly a privilege to be honored by the National Newspaper Publishers Association,’” said the Rev. Dr. Toni Draper, Murphy’s daughter, who accepted the enshrinement on her late mother’s behalf.

“I think she’d say that ‘I’m grateful that I’m chosen for this honor and even more grateful that I’m chosen on this platform with the honorable Marcus Garvey,” Draper said.

Garvey’s son, Dr. Julius Garvey, accepted the honor on behalf of the late civil rights leader.

“My dad developed his oratorical skills in large part through his work in newspapers, other publications and speeches,” Garvey said. “He used the dictionary and would read through it learning new words every day and, at one point, his words reached between 6 and 11 million people around the world,” he said.

The Black Press Archives was founded in 1973, as a joint project of Howard University and the NNPA, and established at the University’s Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.

According to the Houston Forward Times, the idea of establishing a Black Press Archives and Gallery of Distinguished Newspaper Publishers was that of William O. Walker, editor-publisher of the Cleveland Call and Post, who first articulated the need for an academic institution that would provide a setting in which historical records related to the Black Press, as well as the newspapers themselves, could be collected, preserved and made available to scholars, students and the public.

Walker also envisioned a gallery in which the photographs and accomplishments of Black Press notables would be on permanent display.

The idea was developed by the NNPA under the direction of Carlton B. Goodlett, NNPA president and editor-publisher of the San Francisco Sun-Reporter, and welcomed by James E. Cheek, then president of Howard University.

In March 1977, during the sesquicentennial celebration of the founding of Freedom’s Journal, the first African American newspaper, the Black Press Archives and Gallery of Distinguished Newspaper Publishers were dedicated in ceremonies at Howard University.

Garvey and Murphy join dozens of others to receive enshrinement.

Born in 1887 in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, Garvey counted as one of 11 children – only Marcus and one of his siblings survived into adulthood.

Garvey received an education in London that would likely have not been available to him in the Americas because of the color of his skin.

He later returned to Jamaica and started the United Negro Improvement Association and he went on to create thousands of jobs for Black people in America and abroad through his many enterprises under the umbrella of the Negro Factories Corporation.

At the ceremony held inside DC’s historical Metropolitan AME Church, a contingent of Garvey family and friends included the chief of the mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Ambassador Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai.

Family and friends and AFRO employees were on hand to witness Murphy’s enshrinement.

Born in 1922, Murphy enjoyed two professions for most of her life – working at the AFRO, which was founded by her grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr., in 1892 and teaching.

From 1958 to 1964, she taught third grade in the Baltimore City Public Schools and also taught at Morgan State College where she headed the news bureau from 1964 to 1971.

She also taught at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and at the State University College at Baltimore, where Murphy headed the journalism sequence from 1975 to 1985.

Both inductees were further honored with video tributes and salutes from NNPA Foundation Chair Amelia Ashley-Ward; NNPA Association Chair Dorothy R. Leavell and NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

“If my mom were here today, I think she’d say, ‘if you ask me, I could have told you years ago that the Black Press would still be alive and well,” Draper said.

For a complete list of all of the NNPA publishers enshrined and a special edition on the 192 years of the Black Press, click here.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.