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Karen Carter Richards Elected as NNPA Fund Chair after Serving 2 Successful Terms as NNPA Chair

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Established more than 40 years ago, the NNPA Fund is the non-profit division of the NNPA, delivering value to NNPA members through professional development, strategic partnerships, and heightened access to resources. It provides professional, academic, and pre-professional training for minorities in media, promotes charitable, educational, and literary activities that advance high standards in ethnic media, and manages a scholarship program, an internship program, an awards recognition event and other projects and initiatives.
The post Karen Carter Richards Elected as NNPA Fund Chair after Serving 2 Successful Terms as NNPA Chair first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

7 months ago

September 29, 2023

Jeffrey L. Boney NNPA Newswire contributor

By Jeffrey L. Boney, NNPA Newswire Contributor

After serving two successful terms as the Chair of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) trade organization from 2019 to 2023, her peers have now elected her chair of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Fund (NNPAF).

While the NNPA is a trade organization which represents over 200 Black-owned media companies across the United States, the NNPA Fund is a 501 c(3) organization that promotes scholastic and professional initiatives designed to honor the historic mission of the Black Press, to explore and celebrate Black culture, fill the void in news coverage of the Black experience, and provide compelling content that educates, engages, inspires, and empowers consumers.

“My family has been a part of NNPA for over 50 years, and I feel very honored to serve within this organization, and to have the opportunity to serve at the highest levels within the organization and continue the work of the Black Press, as former Chair of the NNPA and now as the Chair of the NNPA Fund,” said Carter Richards.

Established more than 40 years ago, the NNPA Fund is the non-profit division of the NNPA, delivering value to NNPA members through professional development, strategic partnerships, and heightened access to resources. It provides professional, academic, and pre-professional training for minorities in media, promotes charitable, educational, and literary activities that advance high standards in ethnic media, and manages a scholarship program, an internship program, an awards recognition event and other projects and initiatives.

Focused on Capacity Building as a mission, the NNPA Fund seeks to do that through four primary focuses:

Business Capacity

Focusing on the ever-changing media industry, the NNPA Fund serves as a nucleus for introducing NNPA members to new opportunities for sustainability.
Business InSight Webinar Series, and newsletters
Branded Content, Promotions, social media, events, and more

Human Capacity

Acknowledging the historical legacy of advocacy, training is a strategic element in keeping abreast of the changing marketplace.
Staff Development: Editorial, Sales, and Marketing
Digital Sales Training, Crowdtangle, Public Data Explorer, and more

Future Capacity

With the goal of feeding the pipeline of future publishers, an investment of time, money, and talent is given to a younger generation of journalists and entrepreneurs.
Scholarships and Internships
Hands-on skillsets, Leadership development, Real-world experience & more
As NNPA Chair, Karen’s list of accomplishments during her two successful terms include:
Being the first to do a NNPA national news series on “Missing Black Girls in America.”
Growing the NNPA annual membership from 200 to 240 Class A and Class B member publications from 2019 to 2023.
The NNPA voted to permit African American owned digital publications to become Class B members of the NNPA for the first time.
In 2020, the NNPA’s annual combined generated revenue for the first time ever exceeded $20 million due to the 2020 U.S. Census and 2020 election year advertising.
In 2021, the NNPA established its first one-million-dollar Rainy Day Savings Account
In 2020 and 2021, the NNPA was able to successfully plan and execute two virtual annual conventions due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The NNPA 2022 Annual National Convention in New Orleans was another impactful success for NNPA member publishers and for Black America. The legendary Stephanie Mills on stage paid a national salute and tribute to the historic and contemporary importance of the Black Press.
Working in collaboration with the Google News Initiative from 2021 to 2023, over 50 NNPA member publishers have been engaged in “Digital Transformation” cohorts that have already enabled many NNPA member publishers to increase their respective digital advertising revenue by more than 10% annually.
This past January, the NNPA had what many have concluded as one of the best and most substantive NNPA Mid-Winter Training Conferences in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In March during Black Press Week, the NNPA convened at the National Press Club in Washington, DC and presented “The State of the Black Press 2023” that was live streamed across the nation. In addition, at that event at the National Press Club the NNPA launched the “NNPA World News” App.
For the first time the NNPA Board of Directors established effectively a retirement procedure, policy and guidelines for NNPA staff
Lastly, but most importantly, the NNPA was successful in attracting more and more involvement of youth and young journalists and publishers to be involved in the present and future growth of the NNPA.

Karen is the CEO and Publisher of Forward Times, the South’s largest independently owned and published newspaper. Since taking the mantle, Karen has turned the Forward Times into a multi-media powerhouse that continues to remain one of the strongest and most trusted voices for African Americans in the Greater Houston area.

The post Karen Carter Richards Elected as NNPA Fund Chair after Serving 2 Successful Terms as NNPA Chair first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Jeffrey L. Boney NNPA Newswire contributor

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Jeffrey L. Boney NNPA Newswire contributor

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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.

Stacy M. Brown

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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.

Stacy M. Brown

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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 …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.