 
Assembly Resolution No. 233
 
BY: M. of A. Zinerman
 
        RECOGNIZING March 16, 2025, as Black Press Day
 
  WHEREAS, For nearly two centuries, the Black Press has served as the
steadfast voice of the African American community, championing the fight
for  freedom,  justice,  and equality since the publication of Freedom's
Journal, the first Black-owned and  operated  newspaper,  on  March  16,
1827, in New York City; and
 
  WHEREAS,  This Legislative Body is justly proud to recognize Sunday,
March 16, 2025, as Black Press Day; and
 
  WHEREAS, When Black voices were  silenced,  the  Black  Press  spoke
boldly,  leading  the  charge  against  slavery, segregation, and racial
injustice, and providing a blueprint for resistance  that  helped  shape
landmark  legislation,  including  the  Civil  Rights Act and the Voting
Rights Act; and
 
  WHEREAS,  During  the  Civil  Rights  Movement,  the   Black   Press
documented   the   struggle,   risked  life  and  livelihood  to  expose
state-sanctioned violence, and ensured that the world  bore  witness  to
the courage of those demanding full citizenship and human dignity; and
 
  WHEREAS,   Today,   Black  journalists  remain  underrepresented  in
mainstream media, comprising just 6% of all reporters, while Black media
continues to publish up to six times more coverage  on  critical  issues
such  as  systemic  racism,  health disparities, voting rights, economic
justice, and police reform than traditional news outlets; and
 
  WHEREAS, The Black Press has always been more than a news  source-it
is  a  movement,  a  means  of  survival,  and  a  catalyst for societal
transformation, shaping  public  opinion,  empowering  communities,  and
holding   power   to  account  in  ways  that  mainstream  outlets  have
historically failed to do; and
 
  WHEREAS, In the modern digital era, technology and social media have
drastically  changed  how   news   is   disseminated,   often   allowing
misinformation  and  bias  to  spread  unchecked, making the role of the
Black Press even more crucial in ensuring that truth prevails  and  that
Black stories are told with accuracy, depth, and historical context; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Prominent  Black journalists such as Joy Reid, host of The
ReidOut  on  MSNBC,  and  Roland  Martin,  founder  of   Roland   Martin
Unfiltered,  have  utilized both traditional media and digital platforms
to challenge misinformation, expose racial injustice,  and  amplify  the
voices  of  Black  communities,  proving  that  the  fight for truthful,
equitable reporting remains as vital today as it was  during  the  Civil
Rights Movement; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The  Black  Press  remains  essential  in the current U.S.
political climate, a time of banned  books,  rising  attacks  on  voting
rights,  economic  inequality, racial disparities in healthcare, and the
ongoing fight against mass incarceration, reinforcing its  role  as  the
fourth estate that holds power accountable; and
 
 
  WHEREAS, The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), often
referred  to as the "Black Press of America," has played a critical role
in educating, equipping, and inspiring generations  of  Black  Americans
with  intelligence, diplomacy, and strategic thinking, ensuring that our
youth remain engaged in the pursuit of justice and equity; and
 
  WHEREAS, The State of New York  is  home  to  several  historic  and
influential  Black  newspapers-including  Our  Time  Press, The New York
Beacon, New York Amsterdam News, The Buffalo Criterion, Daily Challenge,
New York Carib News, and The City Sun- most of which continue to inform,
empower, and mobilize Black communities, despite systemic challenges  to
their survival; and
 
  WHEREAS, Black-owned newspapers and media outlets are at risk due to
shifts  in advertising dollars away from community journalism, making it
imperative for the New York State government, businesses, and  residents
to  invest  in  and  support  Black  media  as  a  vital  institution in
democracy; and
 
  WHEREAS, The 2025 Black History Month theme,  African  Americans  in
Labor,  recognizes  journalism as a noble profession and underscores the
sacrifices made  by  Black  journalists  to  ensure  that  our  stories,
struggles, and triumphs are never erased; and
 
  WHEREAS,   This  Legislative  Body  calls  on  all  New  Yorkers  to
recognize, support, and invest in the Black Press, ensuring its survival
and continued impact on our communities, our democracy, and our nation's
future; now, therefore, be it
 
  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
recognize March 16, 2025, as Black Press Day; and be it further
 
  RESOLVED,  That  copies  of  this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the following news organizations: Our Time Press, The New
York Beacon, New York  Amsterdam  News,  The  Buffalo  Criterion,  Daily
Challenge, and New York Carib News.
Recognizing March 16, 2025, as Black Press Day

What's Happening

Why It Matters
