To top the newsmaker list, over 200 Black-owned national newspapers were mined to determine who received the most coverage.
By Kandiss Edwards
(Source: Black Enterprise)
The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has compiled a list of the Top Black Newsmakers of the 21st Century. Leading the way is civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump at no. 1 and President Barack Obama at no. 2.
To top the newsmaker list, over 200 Black-owned national newspapers were mined to determine who received the most coverage.
According to the NNPA analysis, Crump has appeared in more major national headlines than any other Black American over the past quarter-century. After the first Black president received his mention, different cultural, entertainment, sports, music, and political figures followed. Serena Williams, LeBron James, Vice President Kamala Harris, Simone Biles, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, and Oprah Winfrey are among the top ten Black newsmakers of the century.
The recognition is rooted in his work on high-profile civil rights and justice cases. He said the attention his name receives is “not about me. It is about forcing America to confront what it too often wants to ignore.” His work first gained national consistent coverage when he represented the family of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed 17-year-old killed in Florida in 2012.
The amount of coverage by Crump is sobering, as his name is mainly attached to violent death, at the hands of authorities or racists. Constant recognition signals the continual need to fight against injustice. Crump has represented families in some of the most consequential racial justice cases of the 21st century, including those of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Crump said mentions of his name are humbling and redirects the public’s attention to the victims he seeks to avenge.
“This recognition belongs to the families who trusted me with their pain and pursuits of justice, the communities who refused to stay silent, and the Black Press that has always told our stories with honesty and courage,” said Crump. “Any attention this work receives is a reflection of how our nation is still being called upon to live up to its ideals.
