Black Press in the US, energy, vocation and legacy – Prensa Latina

In a day full of energy, symbolism and spirituality, those attending the celebration on Thursday recalled the first publication of the Freedom’s Journal, on March 16, 1827.
Since then, “the Black Press has been an active advocate for freedom, justice, equality, empathy and empowerment,” said NNPA President and CEO, Dr. Benjamin Chavis in his speech.

Chavis recalled a quote from the founding editors of the Freedom’s Journal, John Brown Russwurm and Rev. Samuel Cornish, who said, ‘Others have spoken for us for too long. We want to defend our own cause.’
A journalist and writer, Chavis noted that “that remarkable call was published in an editorial two centuries ago,” but “what has changed? What is our cause today? What is the enduring mission of the Black Press of America?” he asked.
“Much has changed, but much has not changed,” Chavis warned, noting that while ”black Americans have made tremendous socioeconomic and political progress since 1827, American racism has not changed.”
“The pseudo-ideology of white supremacy has not changed,” he stressed, ”although it has become more digitized on social media and institutionalized in various government agencies. He asserted that the Black Press “is alive and well in more than 250 locations across this nation” and that it continues to “plow the earth with our publications both print and digital. It is our work. It is our vocation. It is our legacy. It is our responsibility to fight for and defend freedom, justice and equality.”

“Yes, we are struggling, but we are making progress in the face of renewed evil forces of oppression.”
In statements to Prensa Latina, Bobby R. Henry, Sr., one of the founders of the NNPA and co-chairman of the organization, noted that for him there are three important things at work today.

“Number one, the black press is alive and kicking. Number two, young people are willing to step up and take their rightful place at the helm, and number three, we are not afraid to climb difficult mountains,” said Henry, who said he is part of a struggle that will not end.
Meanwhile, Micha Green, editor-in-chief of The Washington Informer, celebrated the 60th anniversary in 2025 of her newspaper, which is “so incredibly inspiring (…) we wanted to make sure that we were telling powerful stories during a time when the civil rights movement was really intense.”

Black Press “continues to have the mission of the founders of the Freedom’s Journal (…) and we make sure that we are freedom fighters through writing, freedom writers, if you will. So I’m happy to be a part of and help maintain this legacy, Green told Prensa Latina.
Henry also advocated for good US relations “around the world for people who believe in true democracy, for people who believe in freedom” and dedicated words to “Cuban brothers and sisters like the Haitians who taught us how to fight.
Regarding Cuba, he confessed that “we would love to go, we were planning to go before all these crazy things started with our government. So, as soon as we can, we will.”

The celebratory program included the enshrinement of NNPA publishers at the Black Press Archives and Howard University’s Distinguished Publishers Gallery, the venue of the event.
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