The Negro/National Newspaper Publishers Association and Its Dual Roles as a Trade and Advocacy Organization,1940–2020

Abstract

The National Newspaper Publishers Association, founded in 1940 as the Negro Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), served two roles from the outset. As a trade organization, it sought to professionalize the Black press by holding regular conventions, improving business practices, and implementing journalism awards. As an advocacy organization, the NNPA met with sitting presidents and high-ranking government officials to push for civil rights legislation. This study, the first to document and discuss the NNPA’s dual roles, draws on organizational records, news stories, and other primary sources by and about the NNPA since its inception to illustrate the scope of its work for the Black press and equality. The historical narrative also situates the organization in the context of the Civil Rights Movement and the long struggle for equal rights in the United States. Current advocacy and trade issues are discussed in the light of this narrative and the COVID-19 pandemic, and some suggestions for improvement are offered relative to the NNPA’s eightieth anniversary in 2020.