Dr. Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Garvey Jr., shared that is father’s oratorical skills were developed through his work with the newspaper and speeches. Dr. Garvey is seen here with Thurman Jones, Publisher of the North Dallas Gazette at the NNPA Black Press Week (Image: NNPA)
Earlier this spring, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) honored two prominent publishers, Marcus Garvey, and Francis L. Murphy. Dr. Julius Garvey accepted an honor on behalf of his late father, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the Nationalist, Pan-Africanism movement leader, and Negro World newspaper founder. Francis L. Murphy II, the publisher emeritus of the AFRO AMERICAN, was also honored. Granddaughter Rev. Dr. Toni Draper accepted on the family’s behalf. Both publishers were enshrined into the NNPA’s Gallery of Distinguished Publishers during the 2019 Black Press Week in Washington, D.C. in March.
“My dad developed his oratorical skills in large part through his work in newspapers, other publications, and speeches,” Dr. Garvey stated. “He used the dictionary and would read through it learning new words every day and, at one point, his words reached between 6 and 11 million people around the world,” Dr. Garvey said according to the Black Press USA report.
Marcus Garvey, Jr., born in Jamaica in 1887 to a stonemason and household servant. He was one of 11 children, but only Marcus and one sibling lived long enough to reach adulthood. Garvey’s goal was to unify and connect people of African descent worldwide.
The Negro World was banned by British and French Colonial rulers, merely having a copy was considered an offense. However, through a network of black seamen, the papers were smuggled around the globe. The paper featured an editorial from Garvey, poetry and other articles of interests to the African descendants. The paper also featured a full-page called “Our Women and What We Think” under the leadership of Amy Jacques Garvey.
The Negro World was a vital part of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s featuring African-American culture, theatre, music and book reviews. He not only founded the newspaper, the Negro World, but also a shipping company called Black Star Line and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The organization to bring together fellow black nationalists. They advocated for “separate but equal” status for persons of African ancestry and they sought independent black states around the world. Liberia was a prime example of their goal.
The 2019 NNPA Mid-Winter Conference was held in Washington, D.C. on March 20-23. The NNPA’s theme for the week was Celebrating 192 Years of the Black Press of America Publishing Power & Purpose.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis shares reflections at NNPA 2019 Black Press Week / Image: NNPA
NNPA Association Chair Dorothy R. Leavell; Thurman Jones, North Dallas Gazette Publisher; NNPA Foundation Chair Amelia Ashley-Ward (Image: NDG/Mark Mahoney)
Dorothy R. Leavell, NNPA Chairman NNPA 2019 Black Press Week / Image: NNPA
Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza spoke to the publishers at NNPA’s 2019 Black Press Week / Image: NNPA
NNPA’s Claudette Perry and Mississippi Link Publisher Jackie Hamilton share a break at NNPA’s 2019 Black Press Week / Image: NNPA
Dr. Ben Chavis, NNPA President and CEO; Georgette Dixon, Wells Fargo; Thurman Jones, North Dallas Gazette; Larry Smith and Cheryl McDonald, Wells Fargo (Image: NDG/Mark Mahoney)
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes has been a champion for the Black Press – NNPA 2019 Black Press Week / Image: NNPA
Rev. Dr. Toni Draper discussed the trailblazing achievements of Washington AFRO-AMERICAN publisher emeritus Francis L. Murphy II. / Image: NNPA
Thurman Jones, North Dallas Gazette and Jeffrey L. Boney, Houston Forward Times share a laugh at the NNPA 2019 Black Press Week (Image: NDG/Mark Mahoney)
(L to R) Cherie Wilson is the Director of Federal Affairs for General Motors and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis NNPA 2019 Black Press Week / Image: NNPA
Thurman Jones, North Dallas Gazette; Larry Smith, The Community News; and David Miller, Our Weekly at NNPA 2019 Black Press Week / (Image: NDG/Mark Mahoney)
(L to R) NNPA Foundation Chairman Amelia Ashley Ward; NNPA Chairperson Dorothy Levell, listen to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes / Image: NNPA
Thurman Jones, North Dallas Gazette and Pluria Marshall, Wave Community Newspapers chat at NNPA 2019 Black Press Week / (Image: NDG/Mark Mahoney)
Dr. Julius Garvey’s father, the legendary Marcus Garvey, was not only an activist for the Black National movement in America but around the world. He also was a business owner who employed thousands and a publisher. NNPA honored his achievements as a publisher at their 2019 Black Press Week conference / Image: NNPA
Thurman Jones, North Dallas Gazette; Fran Farrer, The County News; NNPA Foundation Chair Amelia Ashley-Ward at NNPA 2019 Black Press Week / (Image: NDG/Mark Mahoney)
 honored two prominent publishers, Marcus Garvey, and Francis L. Murphy. Dr. Julius Garvey accepted an honor on behalf of his late father, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the Nationalist, Pan-Africanism movement leader, and Negro World newspaper founder. Francis L. Murphy II, the publisher emeritus of the AFRO AMERICAN, was also honored.){kind=link}