“In fact, API has had a program for over a decade, which brings a minority and underrepresented communities together to talk about, jobs and initiatives within the oil and gas sector,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers said during a news conference on Thursday, March 25. “It’s an important priority of both the API board of directors and the API team in Washington. We’ll continue to grow those alliances over time because we know, based on the studies that we have done in this space, we expect that 50 percent of the jobs in oil and gas in the next 20 years are going to be filled by women and minorities.” ... read more »

From rock and roll to blues, jazz, and hip-hop, music is as much the African American way of life as the afro was Black people's style in the 1970s. Finally honoring that history, the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) has opened in Nashville, Tenn.  ... read more »

We all know that African Americans have the largest increase in unemployment before — and even more after the beginning of — the pandemic. African American-owned businesses have had the greatest financial losses amidst COVID-19. The more unemployment in Black America, the more Equifax’s Work Number data is purchased by a wide range of financial status verifiers. But who is monitoring or challenging the accuracy of the Equifax Work Number data especially when it is about African Americans? ... read more »

In observing Black History Month, National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., has always maintained a poetic theory: “The best way to observe Black History Month is to make more Black history,” Dr. Chavis, one of America's prominent civil rights icons, stated. ... read more »

On Thursday, February 4, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) recognized the beginning of Black History Month with a virtual conversation with White House Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond. “We look forward to the next briefing, in the meantime, we’re going to count on you, I want you to count on us, it’s reciprocity,” said Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA. “We’re going to do our job and help you get the message out. ... read more »

As we approach the 55th NFL Superbowl next Sunday in Tampa, Florida amidst the continued national spread of COVID-19, I believe that the time has come for the close-knit group of team owners in the National Football League (NFL) to take the necessary steps to open the door to African American business leaders who hope to join that exclusive club of owners.  ... read more »

“We need a president who is after the heart of God,” Rev. Dr. Sylvester Beaman, of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Delaware, told NBC News. “In these terrible times, if anybody can bring healing and reconciliation to a divided country, if we give him room to work, Joe Biden can be that person,” Rev. Beaman continued. ... read more »

Researchers are urging more people of color to participate in clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine, but participation numbers so far are low. ... read more »

Black Americans have to be involved at all levels of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot afford to be silent, detached, denied, or prevented from being at the decision-making tables in terms of COVID-19 public health policies, research, clinical trials, remedies, and vaccine development. Our lives and future are at stake. ... read more »

A court in California just issued a temporary “stay” on restricting rideshare operations in the state over the independent contractor issue. The court ruling should be made permanent while civil rights and business leaders work together to undo the unjust and unfair rideshare regulations that may negatively impact millions of people throughout America. ... read more »

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) expresses sincere condolences to the family of Mrs. Imogene McDaniel Harris (R.I.P.), the distinguished publisher of the Gary INFO Newspaper (founded in 1963) who passed on July 22, 2020. ... read more »

Addressing the disparities surrounding COVID-19 and other illnesses, Dr. Fauci pointed to many African Americans, Latinx, and Native Americans occupying essential jobs that provide employees with little — or no — protection. ... read more »

The successful event’s website, vitualnnpa2020.com, generated more than 55,000 pageviews to conference attendees in only two days. ... read more »

On Wednesday, May 6 at 1PM ET, four publishers from across the country, including Bobby Henry of Florida’s Westside Gazette, Sonny Messiah Jiles of the Houston Defender, Hiram Jackson of Real Times Media (whose publications include the Chicago Defender and five other regional weeklies in the U.S.) and Larry Lee of the Sacramento Observer, will participate in a special livestream broadcast to discuss the status of their operations as the global COVID-19 pandemic rages on. ... read more / watch video »

NNPA Sr. Correspondent Stacy Brown is joined by Dr. Leigh-Ann Webb, MD, MBA, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia, Dept of Emergency Medicine and Reggie Swift, Founder of Rubix Life Sciences for a wide-reaching discussion on COVID-19 testing, treatment and impact. ... read more / watch video »