By Bobby R. Henry, Sr. 

NNPA Chairman

Dear President Biden,

I am writing to express my gratitude for the invitation extended to the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) – the Black Press of America for a meeting with you at the White House. We were eagerly anticipating the opportunity to engage in a face-to-face dialogue with you and to convey the messages you wished us to share with our audiences at home. Regrettably, this opportunity did not materialize, despite our members’ arrival at the White House following a series of rescheduled appointments. This was particularly disappointing for our publishers, some of whom traveled to Washington, D.C., solely for the purpose of meeting with you.

Should the opportunity for a meeting arise in the future, the NNPA’s message will be as follows:

We, the members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, represent over 250 Black-owned media companies with a weekly audience of 22 million readers and a digital network of over 37 million followers across all our social media platforms; consequently, the potential exists for significant influence within our reach representing rural, urban, and suburban communities.

We strongly believe in democracy and are committed to doing our part to ensure that a constitutional democracy is maintained in the United States.

Despite the challenges faced by the press and media industry, we have made substantial investments in supporting a free press and will continue to do so.

Our organization is deeply rooted in Black and Brown communities, and we have a profound understanding of their needs and concerns through our media platforms and daily interactions.

We provide valuable information to our communities and believe that all levels of the federal government can benefit from partnering with us for their communication and outreach needs.

We urge the government to be deliberate in its efforts to engage with our community. The NNPA’s voices are trusted, and we are deeply ingrained in the community every day, every year, not just during elections.

Thank you for allowing me to represent the NNPA and convey our message. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity for a face-to-face conversation with you soon.