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NNPA Makes Plans for the Future During Informal Gathering in Houston

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Though it was not an official board of directors meeting, the two-day planning session and retreat in Houston included NNPA executive board members: NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards; First Vice Chair Janis Ware; Second Vice Chair Fran Farrer; Treasurer Brenda Andrews; and Secretary Jackie Hampton.

Published

5 years ago

August 19, 2019

Oakland Post

The informal gathering, which included all who comprise the NNPA executive committee, helped to jumpstart what’s sure to be a banner year in 2020, the 80th anniversary of the storied organization.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

An informal gathering of National Newspaper Publishers Association board members and publishers has galvanized the 79-year-old organization and has served to renew its commitment as the voice of Black America.

Though it was not an official board of directors meeting, the two-day planning session and retreat in Houston included NNPA executive board members: NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards; First Vice Chair Janis Ware; Second Vice Chair Fran Farrer; Treasurer Brenda Andrews; and Secretary Jackie Hampton.

NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., also attended the gathering and Sonya Ware of Blue Beagle Consulting served as the facilitator.

“We have a lot of talented publishers in this organization who are very knowledgeable,” said Richards, who in June won election as chair by an overwhelming vote of the publishers.

“The tranquil location provided a peaceful environment. It was an opportunity that allowed my thoughts and energy to focus on the future of NNPA, especially at a time when the newspaper industry is evolving and transforming,” said Ware, the publisher of the Atlanta Voice newspaper.

“Change is inevitable, and the NNPA must adapt to the change to propel ourselves into the future. The African American newspapers have captured the history of our communities. And, the people we serve in a positive light will reflect our contributions to the world and will speak to the powerful legacy of our people,” said Ware, adding, “I am excited about the future of our newspapers and the future of the National Newspaper Association. The new leadership has adopted a position of inclusiveness and expansion of our members, providing an opportunity for growth,” she continued.

Farrer, the publisher, and editor of The County News in Statesville, N.C., called the informal gathering “awesome,” adding that she is excited to be with the new team, which has a clear vision for the future.

“The new team will increase visibility and the comfortability of all our member publishers,” Farrar said. “We made great plans, and we did teamwork. There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team,’ and that was very obvious with this new team,” she said.

Farrar senses a “new Black Press of America.”

“I think everyone at NNPA will be proud to call themselves members and I see new publishers who will want to join. I am so proud to be a member of this board,” she said.

Andrews, the publisher of the New Journal & Guide in Norfolk, Va., said she believes the new administration has begun a bonding process that’s necessary in creating a strong team for the NNPA membership.

“Rather than a retreat, I would call our two-day gathering an advance,” Andrews said.

“By that I mean the energy and synergy in the room suggested that those present were on board to work together in moving the organization forward and excited about the direction given by Board Chair Karen Carter Richards,” she said.

“I am so happy to share that the Board of Director’s informal retreat exceeded my hopes and expectations,” said Hampton, the publisher of the Mississippi Link in Jackson.

“I am leaving Houston energized, ignited and ready to do my part in fulfilling the mission of the association and the needs of member publishers throughout the nation,” Hampton said.

“Regardless of our various backgrounds, size of the market, or size of publication, we are more alike than we are different because our needs are practically the same. This board, with the assistance of an excellent facilitator, connected in a way that convinced me we can reach new and greater heights of success,” Hampton said.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the right leadership is in place and we will work side by side as we allow our CEO, Dr. Ben Chavis and his staff carry out the needs of the officers and members of NNPA,” she said.

For Richards, who publishes the Houston Forward Times, the gathering is just a foregleam of good things to come for the NNPA.

She said the informal gathering, which included all who comprise the NNPA executive committee, helped to jumpstart what’s sure to be a banner year in 2020, the 80th anniversary of the storied organization.

“It was insightful, reaffirming, marvelous, and encouraging. Everyone was energized and grateful,” Richards said.

“There’s going to be a rebranding of the NNPA. After so much that we’ve been through to this point, we want us to all be of one accord and come together and identify, understand, and come up with solutions to address the needs of the member publishers,” Richards said.

“The mission is to elevate the NNPA. This is what has to be done because we are the original Black Press of America,” she said.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, but we’re going to have fun doing it.”

The NNPA “is now especially blessed with an outstanding, competent, and well-experienced executive board leadership team led by NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards,” said Chavis.

“The two-day informal board retreat in Houston was a celebration of our new leadership and revived spirit to sustain the present and future transformative legacy of the publishing excellence of the Black Press of America via print, digital, and social media,” Chavis said.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
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