Recognizing that Blacks lacked access to public print media, the Rev. Samuel Cornish and the Rev. John B. Russworm bonded and emerged from within that assembly with a plan: To produce the nation’s first Black newspaper titled The Freedom’s Journal.

“Many communities of color rely on their local newspapers or radio stations — oftentimes these outlets are in a language other than English — for information,” Bass, who is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus wrote in a letter to the United States congressional leadership in April, advocating for African American and ethnic media.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association stated “Across the nation, the Black Press of America, represented by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), has been financially negatively impacted across the board as a result of COVID-19 due to severe reductions in local, regional and national advertising dollars targeted toward Black America.

Yet, the Black Press has a history of resilience and many of the NNPA member newspapers are striving to endure and to survive the disproportionately deadly impact of COVID-19 on Black America.”

As African American, Latino, Asian Pacific American and Native American communities experience the disproportionate impact of COVID-19, we ask that you prioritize ethnic media and local media outlets that serve those communities,” the letter read.