Community
OP-ED: Reagan said, “Republicans and Democrats should live up to the commandments King lived by.”
“Dr. King had awakened something strong and true, a sense that true justice must be colorblind, and that among white and Black Americans, as he put it, ‘Their destiny is tied up with our destiny, and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom; we cannot walk alone.’” ~President Ronald Reagan, as he signed into law the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday.
Dr. King grew up in a middle class family. His grandfather, James King, became the pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1913 and remained the Senior Pastor until 1931 when Martin Luther King Sr. took over as Senior Pastor.
Martin Luther King Jr. graduated from Morehouse College as did his father and grandfather. Dr. King added a Doctorate degree from Boston University. If he had chosen another path in life, his family could have been so pleasant in their Atlanta middle class neighborhood where they could have raised their four children in a life of privilege that few Americans, Black or white, would have had the opportunity to live.
In an era when the news was filled with the death of Emmett Till and the National Guard being called in to protect small children entering a school, and in a time when Black men were lynched in the town square in broad daylight, Dr. King chose a path fought with numerous beatings and jailings, and ultimate death by assassination at age 39.
As we observe his birthday, we should remember the price he paid.
And now, 46 years since his death, many Black Americans still struggle to live the “Dream.”
In 2015, Black America is still very segregated and remains the least employed and the poorest of all demographics in America. Many Americans are saying that race relations in America are worse today than they were 10 years ago. Because crime, violence and police killings of Blacks in broad day light continues to cripple many Black majority neighborhoods, the chants are not “free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I’m free at last,” but rather “hands up, don’t shoot” and “no justice no peace.”
Upon the close of his speech to sign the MLK Jr. holiday into law, Ronald Reagan said, “Each year on Martin Luther King Day, let us not only recall Dr. King, but rededicate ourselves to the Commandments he believed in and sought to live every day: Thou shall love thy God with all thy heart, and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. And I just have to believe that all of us—if all of us, young and old, Republicans and Democrats, do all we can to live up to those Commandments, then we will see the day when Dr. King’s dream comes true, and in his words, ‘All of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning… land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.’”
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

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#NNPA BlackPress
Remembering George Floyd
#NNPA BlackPress
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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