DOCUMENTING THE BLACK PRESS IN AMERICA
THOMASC.BATTLE,PH.D.
The idea of establishing a Black Press Archives and Gallery of Distinguished Newspaper Publishers was conceived in 1965 by William O Walker, EditorPublisher of the Cleveland Call and Post Under the leadership of Dr Carlton B Goodlett, the National Newspaper Publishers Association endorsed a plan to develop an archives and gallery at a university where the assembled documentation on the Black Press could be permanently preserved and made available to scholars, students and the public
On July 12th, 1973, Dr. Goodlett, President of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, wrote President James E Cheek to propose the initiation of a joint project to establish at Howard University an “Archives of the Black Press in America” and “ a gallery honoring the famous and outstanding Black newspaper publishers, beginning with John Russwurm, publisher of Freedom’s Journal and founder of the Black Press ”
This idea was received enthusiastically by Dr Cheek, and in 1973 he authorized the creation of a joint Howard University-NNPA project to create the archives and gallery as a unit of the MoorlandSpingarn Research Center. Recognized as one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive repositories for the collection and preservation of materials documenting the history and culture of Black people in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and United States, the Research Center is an ideal location for the archives of the Black Press
The National Newspaper Publishers Association appointed a committee on the Archives and Gallery, which was chaired until his death by Emory O Jackson, Editor of The Birmingham World He was succeeded by Mr William O Walker, who had served on the organizing committee along with Mrs Marjorie B Parham, Editor-Publisher of the Cincinnati Herald Dr Cheek designated the Director of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center as the University’s representative to meet with the NNPA’s Black Press Archives Committee.
The successful completion of negotiations to establish the Black Press Archives in the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center was a major accomplishment of the newly restructured Research Center’s first year As a comprehensive research resource that would include complete microfilm files of Black newspapers, as well as the personal papers and records of Black editors, publishers and journalists, the Black Press Archives was envisioned as a vital and constructive element of the Research Center’s program to collect, preserve and interpret Black history and culture In order to maximize the value of the Black Press Archives, there was to be a comprehensive collection of Black newspapers, as well as an extensive collection of the private as well as business papers of publishers, reporters, and other persons involved in the production and development of Black newspapers
Many of the manuscript collections of the Black Press Archives are widely used by scholars, researchers and students Researchers interested in the Negro Baseball Leagues find the Art Carter Papers invaluable for their research As a former sports writer, Carter collected sports memorabilia, most notably, Negro Baseball League photographs, yearbooks and scorecards, many of which are unique to his papers The Papers of Armistead Pride yielded a different kind of treasure Pride’s unfinished manuscript on the history of the Black Press was completed by Dr Clint Wilson II and recently published by the Howard University Press Dr Wilson is a Howard University journalism professor, noted author and guest editor of this issue of HUArchivesNet
Since its establishment in 1973, the Black Press Archives at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center continues to be a major resource for the study of the development of the Black Press and its significance to the local and national communities it serves. For the holdings of the Black Press Archives, both newspaper and manuscript collections, see the Guide to Black Press Resources at the Moorland- Spingarn Research Center under MSRC Resources in this issue
Black Press Day Program
03.18.2026 | 10AM-1PM
10:00am Opening Ceremony- Host Aaron Jacobs
Welcome Address - Karen Carter Richards, Chair National Newspaper Publishers Association Fund (NNPAF)
10:05am
10:10am
Musical Selection- Lift Every Voice And Sing, Howard University Community Choir
Opening Remarks- John Warren, NNPA Chair and Dr. Benjamin Talton, Director of the MSRC
10:15am Musical Selection- Howard University Community Choir
10:20am
10:30am
10:50am
Black Press Archives and NNPA Fund AnnouncementsLovelace Boafo and Kelly P. Hodges
State of the Black Press- Dr. Benjamin Chavis, CEO / President of NNPA
Prayer- Dr. Benjamin Chavis, CEO / President of NNPA
11:00am Lunch
Hosted
By:
Aaron Jacobs
11:30pm AI Fireside Chat
Phil Lewis – WABJ
Paris Brown – Baltimore Times
Ra-Jah Kelly – Washington Informer
Dr. Ingrid Sturgis – Associate Dean of the School of Communications at HU
Alexandria Green-Jones- Co-Publisher, Bayou Beat News, Founder of AG Media Agency
12:00pm
Hilltop Remarks- Aniyah Genama, Managing Editor at The Hilltop
BPA Digitization ReportBrandon Nightingale – Senior Project Manager (BPA)
12:10pm
Sijan Shrestha – MSRC Scholar / Computer Science Major 12:15pm
Enshrinement Presentation and Plaque Acceptance-Karen Carter Richards, Chair National Newspaper Publishers Association Fund (NNPAF)
12:30pm Closing Remarks- Host Aaron Jacobs
Aaron Jacobs is Program Manager at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, where he oversees programming, community engagement, and special events. With nearly a decade of experience in performing arts, media, and event management, he has built expertise in content creation, community management, and arts administration. He holds a B A. in Film Production from Howard University, an M.A. in Arts Management from American University, and a Certificate in Business and Administration from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art
NNPAFUNDBOARD
JohnWarren BoardMember•Region5:California TheSanDiegoVoice&Viewpoint CherylSmith BoardMember•Region4:Texas TexasMetroNews
ParisBrown BoardMember•Region1:Baltimore TheBaltimoreTimes
ClovisCambell
AIFIRESIDECHATSPEAKERS
Pubisher,BaltimoreTmesNNPAFund
RA-JAHKELLY
ChefOfficerofTechnologyandGrantsat TheWashingtonnformer
IngridSturgis
AssocateDeanintheCathyHughes SchoolofCommunications
OwnerAGMediaAgencyCo-PubisherBayouBeatNews Regon4PresdentNNPA ngridSturgssassocatedeanntheCathy HughesSchoolofCommunicationsandan assocateprofessorofnewmediainthe DepartmentofMediaJournaismandFimWtha careerspannngbothtradtonalanddgtal journaismshehasworkedasareporterand editorornewspapersincludingThePhiadelpha nqurerTmes-HeradRecordandPoughkeepsie Journaaswelasmanagingedtorfortwo magaznestart-upsShehasasohedeadng digtalrolesncudngedtor-n-chiefof EssencecomeditorforAOLsBackVoicesand webstrategist
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HOWARDUNIVERSITYSPEAKERS
BRANDONNIGHTINGALE PhDstudentnHistoryatHowardUnversityand SenorProjectManageroftheBlackPressArchves attheMoorland-SpingarnResearchCenter
BrandonNightingaleisaPhDstudentinHistory atHowardUniversityandSeniorProject ManageroftheBlackPressArchivesatthe Moorland-SpngarnResearchCenterHeeads large-scaledgtizatonandpreservation ntiatvesfocusedonhistorcBlack-owned newspapersHisresearchexaminesthe nsttutionalhistoryoftheBlackpressPanAfrcanthoughtandtheroeofarchivesin shapngpubicmemory
AniyahGenama
ManagingEditor HlltopatHowardUniversty
AnyahGenamacurrentlyservesas theManagingEditorforTheHilltopat HowardUniversitywhereshesinher fnalsemesterofstudiesin communicationsandSpanishShe orginalycomesfromAtlanta, Georgia
LovelaceBoafo
BlackPressArchivesDigitzationProect Manager
LoveaceBoafoistheProectManagerforthe BackPressArchivesDigitizationProject helpngpreserveandorganzethelegacyof BackjournalsmOrginalyfromPhladelpha andagraduateoftheUniversityatAlbany shebringsexperienceinprojectcoordination colaborationandstrategicexecution ncludingprevousworkasaProgram CoordinatoratGeneralEectrc
SijanShrestha MSRCScholar/ComputerScenceMajor
SjanShresthaisaComputerSciencestudentat HowardUnversitywithastrongpassonforartificial ntellgencemachneearnnganddatascience SkiledinPythonJavaScriptandmachneearning frameworkshehashands-onexperienceinresearch softwaredevelopmentandteachngHisworkncudes engineeringanOCRautomationsystemthat mprovedarchivaleffciencyby20%anddevelopinga MaskR-CNNinstancesegmentationpipelinein PyTorchtoautomatepagesegmentatonmetadata detectionandstructureddataextracton
THE BLACK PRESS ARCHIVES AND GALLERY OF DISTINGUISHED PUBLISHERS
JOELLEN ELBASHIR
ENSHRINEMENT INDUCTEE
Bernal E. Smith
PUBLISHER, TRI-STATE DEFENDER
