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HUD Secretary Fudge Pledges to Change Agency’s Ad Spending with Black-Owned Media
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The most recent Government Accountability Office study found that federal agencies spent more than $5 billion on advertising over five years, with just $51 million, or 1.02 percent, going to Black-owned businesses.
The post HUD Secretary Fudge Pledges to Change Agency’s Ad Spending with Black-Owned Media first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
With the federal government spending a pittance of its advertising dollars with Black-owned media and President Biden demanding that agencies expand contracting opportunities for historically disadvantaged businesses, including those owned by women and people of color, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge has made a specific pledge to African American publishers and media company owners.
“I will take a look at it, and if [advertising spending] is where you say it is, we will change it,” Fudge declared following a question from National Newspaper Publishers Association President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. about the inequitable distribution of advertising dollars with the Black Press.
“You can hold me to that,” Fudge asserted.
Chavis, Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, and media mogul Roland Martin all pressed Fudge and others during a Black Media Roundtable at HUD in Washington.
The federal government spends about $600 billion annually on consumer goods and services.
A small portion of that money goes to small businesses owned by women, minorities, and those otherwise disadvantaged.
The most recent Government Accountability Office study found that federal agencies spent more than $5 billion on advertising over five years, with just $51 million, or 1.02 percent, going to Black-owned businesses.
“It’s been on our minds,” said Beth Lynk, the assistant secretary of public affairs for HUD. “We are asking [all contractors] what is your spend? Not just Black reach, but Black ownership in the media.”
Adjoa Asamoah, the senior advisor for Racial Equity for the Office of the Secretary of HUD, called Fudge a “secretary of, with and for the people.”
“I had a conversation recently with the Deputy Secretary of HUD (Adrianne Todman) and we will increase our spend with Black and brown media,” Asamoah asserted.
“A couple of things. We are disrupting the present systems with disrupting how we do money. We recognize that the federal government is the largest consumer of goods and services and roughly 10 percent has traditionally gone to Black, Brown, and small, and disadvantaged businesses.”
Asamoah continued:
“That’s not 10 percent each. We’ve been tasked by the President with leveraging the full power of the federal government’s procurement power.
“While ad spending directly is what we will look at, under Secretary Fudge we have looked at how we are spending our dollars and adjusted accordingly. Every single notice of funding opportunity that goes out this door, [the contractor] is required to state how you have demonstrated your ability to advance racial equity and what will you do in the future to advance racial equity. We are doing things differently.”
The post HUD Secretary Fudge Pledges to Change Agency’s Ad Spending with Black-Owned Media first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Remembering George Floyd
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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association
For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.
As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.
Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.
We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.
Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.
The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.
We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.
Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association
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Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”
Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.
The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”
Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.
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