A Message From The Publisher
But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. Luke 14:10 (NIV)
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
As the publisher of The Westside Gazette, I’ve long believed that the media has both a responsibility and a power: to inform, to uplift, and when necessary, to challenge. When I was invited by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) to moderate their Presidential Townhall; The State of Black America: A Public Safety Perspective, I didn’t see it as just another speaking engagement. I saw it as a call to purpose.
In a time when trust in institutions is hanging by a thread, especially among Black Americans, this kind of dialogue is not optional; it’s necessarily urgent.
We are living in a moment of deep reckoning with immigrant concentration camps included. From police reform to gun violence, from maternal health disparities to digital surveillance, Black communities across this country are navigating a complex web of threats to our safety and well-being. And too often, these conversations happen about us, not with us. That’s why this Presidential Townhall matters.
To sit alongside law enforcement leaders, health professionals, educators, and community advocates, and to bring a media perspective to that conversation is to help ensure that our voices are not only heard but centered.
I don’t come to this event with easy answers. I come with questions: How do we rebuild trust where it’s been broken? How do we hold power accountable while building partnerships that protect our people? How do we move from policing to public safety, which is a vision that includes mental health, economic opportunity, and equity in every sense of the word?
I believe Black owned media has a sacred role in answering those questions. We are the storytellers of our struggle, yes but also of our solutions. Our headlines have the power to frame narratives, challenge systems, and inspire action. That’s why I’m grateful for the opportunity to moderate this conversation and not just as a journalist, but as a steward of our community’s truth.
Let’s be clear: these are uncomfortable times. And they demand uncomfortable leadership — the kind that refuses to be silent or safe when justice is on the line.
This Townhall isn’t the end of the conversation. But it’s a step forward. And I’m proud to help guide it.
— Bobby R. Henry, Sr., Publisher, The Westside Gazette
“We are deeply rooted and shall not be moved. A positive paper for a positive people.”
