Black Newspaper executive extols “Thriving Together” with strong, committed partnerships as key to Black Media growth and sustainability
OBMC News
Special Report
By Tanya Morah
(Columbus, OH) — According to the Chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Bobby R. Henry, Sr., if those who are a part of the Black Media in America, whom he calls “soldiers without swords,” are to thrive together, “We have to be open and honest and know who is in the foxhole with us, because sometimes you can be killed by friendly fire.”
Henry, speaking on Friday at the Black Media Luncheon sponsored by the Ohio Black Media Collective as part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) two-day Conference in Columbus, said that to be true to the goal of thriving together, the Black Media/Black Press in American must continue to build strong, committed partnerships and to be accountable to one another, writing their own history and narrating their own stories.
Bobby R. Henry, Sr., Chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association(NNPA)-Black Press of America, was the guest speaker at the Ohio NAACP State Convention held at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, Ohio.. The luncheon, hosted by the Ohio Black Media collective (OBMC), opened up the convention.
“We need the NAACP, the Urban League, Black churches, the Divine Nine, as well as traditional and non-traditional organizations to work and thrive together. What happened? In the past, we recognized that it was the ties that bind. What is our contribution to what looks like an expanded chasm?” Henry asked.
“Thriving together means we will relentlessly pursue a rebuilding of relationships with major Black organizations to outline how we will work together to educate our people and shine the light on the things necessary to keep us strong,” Henry said. “The Black Press should not be the last to get information necessary to hold people accountable to speak to our needs.”
He said, thriving together, Black media can continue to bring front and center the collective views and concerns of their communities to be read, heard, seen, and used from the many platforms Black media represent as each deals with issues of racism, access, proper healthcare, criminal justice, black history, governmental exclusion, voting rights, and other crucial matters impacting their communities.
Henry, who is also the CEO and Publisher of the Westside Gazette in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said thriving together means that collectively the Black media representatives can bring more attention to what is important to their community and make things happen. Thriving together, he said, “will raise our vision to higher heights and our performance to new levels of excellence.”
He encouraged the embracing and broadening of the TEAM approach promoted and demonstrated by Civil Rights Leader Dr. King Jr., by adding an “s” to King’s concept: TEAMM, meaning “Together Each Accomplishes Much More.”
Black media, Henry said, must “understand, believe, and practice the principles of ‘to whom much is given, much is expected.’”
According to Henry, Black media are in a constant struggle to remain relevant. He echoed the comment by William R. Ellis, Jr.- Editor/ Publisher of The Reporter in Akron/Canton, in his introduction of Henry, that the Black media must hang together. “If we don’t hang together, they are going to hang us separately.”
Henry told the NAACP attendees that, “We have to stand for inclusion, not exclusion. We are not an invisible people, but a force to be reckoned with.” He reminded the audience that “We stand together on the principles and determination of our ancestors. We are to use the power of the pen like Samuel Cornish, John B. Russwurm, and Frederick Douglass. Let us use our influence to speak to power.
“ We can’t be scared! If you are scared and cowering down, move out of the way,” he exhorted.
“A new day is dawning,” said Henry. “We can step into the future by taking the technology guidance of our young people who have demonstrated their commitment to understanding our plight and the need to plead our own cause by sustaining our existence through their eyes.”
“We have to embrace their differences to allow them to lead us in some new adventures. We do this knowingly – knowing that we have prepared our young leaders for such a time as this.”
Henry concluded that “Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. While we can still see our hope for tomorrow in our young leadership, let us embrace it together as we purposefully direct them that they may lead us into a future predicated on a great foundation. Let us thrive together.”
Tom Roberts, former Ohio State Senator and president of the Ohio State Conference of Branches (NAACP), kicked off the convention. Dr. M. Mike McNair, managing member of the Ohio Black Media Collective and publisher of the Buckeye Review, was the master of ceremonies for the luncheon. Representative Dontavius Jarrells- District #1 Assistant Ohio House Minority Leader, and Jack Harris- publisher of the Columbus Communicator gave welcome addresses as part of the program.
Acknowledgement of program special guests and the Ohio Black Media Collective members was given by Montrice Terry- influencer, media consultant and founder of The Toledo City Park League Resource Group.
Special luncheon guests were Chief Ohio Minority Business Mgr Monica Womack, Ohio Newsroom Mgr Clare Roth-NPR, Judge Terri Jamison, John Pace, Atty Morgan Harper, Dr. Carter Womack of Columbus, Shay Hawkins of Sec Frank LaRose office, Tomeka Brown of Columbus Public Schools,Dr. Frederick Harris, MD< Ohio Black Expo CEO Amdrea Siplin, Rev. Tony Wright, Ms Petee Tally of Ohio Unity Coalition, Jesse Junius, William Matthews, Rev Dr Jack Sullivan, Jr- Ex Dir Ohio Council of Churches, and William Washington of US Sen Sherred Brown office.
Dr.T anya M. Morah , Associate Professor of Communication at Wilberforce University , is a special correspondent for the Ohio Black Media Collective (OBMC) and The Reporter.
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