10 leading Black newspapers join forces to host ‘Voting With Purpose’ live event

10 leading Black newspapers join forces to host ‘Voting With Purpose’ live event

Virtual event takes place on Oct. 20

(October 13, 2020) — With just weeks to go before Election Day on Nov. 3, now is the time to make sure everyone’s vote counts. That’s why ten publishers of the leading Black newspapers in America will come together for a live event to discuss voting with purpose in the upcoming election.

“This moment requires greatness from our publications as the disparities and injustices are life-and-death,” said Larry Lee, publisher, The Sacramento Observer. “Black lives have always mattered to us, and our publications matter to Blacks.” The ten publishers of the Word in Black collaborative will welcome seven esteemed Black leaders at 6 p.m. Eastern time Oct. 20 for an evening of conversation on voting with purpose. The event is an interactive, informational, live stream focused on the importance of all voters participating in the upcoming election. The event will stream live on WordinBlack.com.

Guests from diverse backgrounds will share research, insights, and experiences highlighting why exercising one’s right to vote is crucial for this — and every — election.

The event is hosted by Chris Bennett, publisher of Seattle Medium, and Dr. Frances Toni

Draper, CEO, and publisher of the AFRO American. It is moderated by Elinor Tatum, publisher and editor-in-chief of the New York Amsterdam News, and Larry Lee, publisher of the Sacramento Observer.

The panel of nationally-known experts includes:

● Bakari Sellers, Attorney for Strom Law Firm and CNN political commentator

● Susan Smith Richardson, CEO, Center for Public Integrity

● Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

● Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

● Wes Moore, CEO, Robin Hood Foundation

● Leigh M. Chapman, director, Voting Rights Program

● Nolan Williams, Jr., American composer, producer, music director, innovator, curator, and musicologist.

“We can’t wait for the world to meet Word in Black on Oct. 20,” said Nancy Lane, chief executive officer, Local Media Association. “This group represents 10 of our nation’s leading Black publishers who are taking a major step forward to be the national voice of solutions for racial inequities in America. We are thrilled to serve as managers of this collaborative and financial sponsor of this event. We invite everyone to join us for this important discussion.”

The event is being produced by the Emmy award-winning team of Nzinga Christine Blake and Erik Niewiarowski, and fueling the technology is broadcast and streaming viewer engagement partner, Megaphone TV.

About Word in Black

Ten of the nation’s most progressive Black publishers have come together to launch a news collaborative, unlike any other in the industry. This group focuses on solutions “by us and for us” when it comes to racial inequities in America. Through philanthropic funding, this group will significantly increase its reporting power. The publishers will be able to hire and contract with investigative journalists, data journalists, video producers, and more. A central team will turn their local stories into powerful national stories. Soon, major news outlets will be quoting the work of Word in Black. Solutions will take center stage, igniting change in America.

About Local Media Association/Local Media Foundation Local Media Association (https://www.localmedia.org/) is a thriving and innovative organization serving more than 3,000 newspapers, TV stations, digital news sites, radio stations, and research & development partners. LMA is the only industry trade organization that brings all local media together for sharing, networking, collaborating, and learning. The association’s focus is on reinventing business models for news. LMA’s innovation engine, Accelerate Local, launched six projects in 2019 with 50 different media partners and three projects so far in 2020, including the COVID-19 local news fund, the Oklahoma Media Center, and the news collaborative in Chicago. Local Media Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable trust that supports the mission of LMA and the essential role of local news and information in a healthy democracy.