Karen is a native Houstonian and is the CEO and Publisher of Houston Forward Times, the South’s largest independently-owned and published newspaper. Her parents always stressed the importance of the Black Press to her, and the value of sustaining its consistent voice.

GREETINGS FROM THE CHAIRMAN

KAREN CARTER RICHARDS

Publisher of the Houston Forward Times

To our esteemed publishers, staff, guests, and viewers, I would like to welcome each and every one of you to the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Virtual 2021 National Convention. On behalf of our NNPA Executive Committee and our entire Board of Directors, we are grateful that you have taken the time to join us.

During the past 12 months, we all have experienced and witnessed very trying times due to the persistence of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that continues to spread across the nation. Yet, we are here to reaffirm our mission and our purpose as the trusted voice of Black communities throughout the United States.

We have an informative program for the next two days as we celebrate the 194^th Anniversary of the Black Press of America and the 81st Anniversary of the NNPA.

Collectively, the NNPA represents the interests of 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies throughout the United States. As always, we thank our partners and sponsors who help to make our National Convention possible.

The NNPA conference planning team has worked tirelessly to provide you with an awesome conference focusing on our theme:  Black Press Matters: Trusted Voice. Resilient Vitality. Transformative Vision. As you can imagine, this theme is timely as the pandemic has presented Black-owned businesses with new challenges that presented us with different responsibilities, yet great opportunities to expand and pivot in areas that have proven favorable to our mission.

The Black Press of America remains resilient in the midst of these challenges, and I believe there are great opportunities that lie ahead for all of us after COVID-19 and as we deal with our current racial climate.

This year, we are excited to celebrate 81 years of this powerhouse of an organization, the National Newspaper Publishers Association. We must continue to build upon our strong foundation by educating, equipping and empowering our Publishers, while making them stronger as we march towards celebrating 100 years as an organization and more.

All in all, these are some challenging times for our industry and for our country, but it is imperative that all of us realize the important role we, the Black Press of America, must play during this pivotal moment in history. This country needs US!!!

Enjoy the Covention! God Bless you and God Bless the NNPA!

Onward and Upward,

Karen Carter Richards