This week marks the beginning of Black History Month, a time of observance that was founded by Carter G. Woodson, an African-American author, historian and publisher nearly a century ago. Back then, it was called Negro History Week; in the mid-1970s, it expanded to an entire month.
This time of year is particularly special to me because it serves as a common point of focus for many. It’s a time for us as a people to reflect on from whence we came and think on our future.
Not unlike Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month has become a victim of commercialization and Santa Clausification. Unfortunately, those looking to capitalize will often soften the original meaning of this season for monetary gain or to promote their organization’s newfound commitment to diversity, often ignoring the true, unfiltered meaning behind its existence. Examples include the time Hennessy committed the ultimate PR blunder by sending out a release touting “mixed drinks MLK Jr. would be proud of” or the myriad academic institutions that see February as the perfect time to add soul food items such as fried chicken and collard greens to the lunch menu.
This Black History Month, however, presents us with an added set of circumstances. Our nation has someone in the highest office of the land who is beyond problematic. Despite his xenophobic motivations and ineptitude, as well as the incompetence of those he has appointed to help run this country, a unique opportunity has presented itself for not only Black people, but to all those who are invested in the fight for equity and progress.
For each discriminatory executive action that has taken place over the past few weeks, thousands of people have utilized the power of the pen and the keyboard to speak out. In this uncertain time of journalists and thought leaders being subject to various forms of attack, it is even more critical that the work continue.
Last week, I had the pleasure and honor of attending the National Newspaper Publishers Association Mid-Winter Conference in sunny Florida. The conference featured a variety of speakers and workshops aimed at helping NNPA-member publishers increase revenue and develop new processes for storytelling in both the print and digital spheres. Though the workshops were impactful and the speakers, Rev. William Barber specifically, were amazing, I was most affected by the conversations had offline with other Black newspaper executives.
I spoke with men and women who had been in this business for several decades, many of whom were running papers that had been in their family’s possession for at least two to three generations. These people, who have no doubt witnessed political atrocities just as awful, if not more so, than what we are subject to now, as well as the highest heights of collective accomplishment, shared their wisdom with us.
One thing that made me the most proud is realizing just how important the Black press has been through the years.
Last week, stars of the film “Hidden Figures” took home the Screen Actor’s Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. The movie, which tells the story of three African-American women whose expertise was responsible for sending astronaut John Glenn into orbit, was based on a book by author Margot Lee Shetterly. Shetterly, a native of Hampton, Virginia, based much of her research on stories that were written in the Norfolk Journal and Guide, a Black newspaper.
Because the women portrayed in the film were Black, the mainstream press largely ignored their contributions and, if not for the Black press, their stories may have remained hidden.
The Shetterly book was just one example of many. For nearly two centuries, the Black independent press has spoken truth to power and shone a light on the otherwise hidden facets of our existence in this society.
Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm, in 1827, founded Freedom’s Journal, the first Black newspaper published in the United States. In the very first issue, in a piece addressed “To Our Patrons,” the editors laid out a mission statement that is still relevant today: “We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the public been deceived by misrepresentations, in things which concern us dearly.”
There are many things happening today that concern us, the American people — especially our marginalized communities — dearly. I would challenge each of you to continue speaking out against injustice and support the work of those who are taking up the mantle of truth. We cannot allow the voice of the free press, the prophet, the protester or the activist to be silenced. Our future is dependent on its existence.
