A Message From The Publisher
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.,
a Concerned Son of the Struggle
Is this selling out the Black cause for a few dollars—or is this the kind of awakening that stirred Nat Turner from silence to sacrifice?
It’s a question every leader, influencer, pastor, nonprofit, and yes—even media outlet—must wrestle with right now. Because while some of us are getting seats at the table, too many are walking away with a plate full of symbolism and an empty stomach when it comes to justice.
Let’s bring it home: we saw what happened with Target, once praised for promoting diversity, now at odds with Black religious and civic leaders. When we asked for investment, they gave us window dressing. When we called for equity, they gave us excuses. And now they pull one of the oldest tricks in the books; divide and conquer in this scenario, the divider has been down this road before. So, we ask again, are we trading in the soul of our struggle for convenience, cosmetic gestures, and a pulpit to entertain from on Sunday mornings?
Remember the way the NFL played us, yes, played us like a fiddle. The same league that blackballed Colin Kaepernick now gets to posture as “woke” with curated halftime shows and diversity slogans. Meanwhile, police budgets are increasing, and Black lives remain under constant threat. Jay-Z was at the center of that partnership. Was it strategy or surrender?
The list goes on.
With uncle Clarence’s continual help to gut affirmative action from the Supreme Court bench, do we call it Black excellence or is Black betrayal in a robe?
This is where the Black press comes in. This is our sacred lane. The NNPA, and all its Black owned media companies , and every Black owned media that stood through the storms our role is not to be a water carrier for power, but to challenge it.
We’ve always been more than a press we’re a pulpit, a megaphone, a mirror to our people. If we lose that, we’re not just selling out. We’re giving up the last independent platform we still own.
But we haven’t lost it. Not yet.
Look at Black Voters Matter crisscrossing the South in buses not for fame, but for our future in reminiscence of the Freedom Riders. Look at Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Cori Bush, and Jasmine Crockett standing flat-footed with “10 toes down” in truth. Or Bishop Barber, still lifting the Poor People’s Campaign on his shoulders like it’s Sunday morning. I was really impressed when the NAACP told the Orange man #47 that he couldn’t come to their conference.
These are not sellouts they’re the modern Nat Turners. Not because they hold pitchforks, but because they hold power to account.
The difference is clear: Selling out is when your platform elevates you, but not your people. Waking up is when your position becomes a tool to tear down what’s oppressing us all.
So, to my fellow Black publishers, leaders, and readers—before you endorse that candidate, accept that check, or post that selfie with power—ask yourself: Is this liberating us, or just lubricating the status quo?
Our ancestors didn’t bleed for proximity to power. They died for us to have our own.
Nat Turner made his choice. Now, we must make ours.
Call to Action:
It’s time to rise. Not later. Not next election cycle. Now.
- If you’re a publisher, protect your platform. Don’t let it be bought let it be bold. Tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
- If you’re a pastor, speak up and not just in the pulpit, but in the public square. This fight is spiritual andstructural.
- If you’re a student, artist, or activist, use your voice to organize, educate, and resist the seduction of symbolism without substance.
- And to every reader: hold your leaders accountable. Demand more than diversity we better demand justice.
Let this not be another moment of silence. Let it be a movement of awakening. Because when we wake up like Nat Turner did—the system shakes.
