• COVID-19 Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Promotions
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • May 10, 2025

Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

"THE NEWSPAPER YOU CAN TRUST SINCE 1964"

  • News
  • Editorials
  • Education
  • Urban Business
  • Health
  • Religion
  • Upcoming Events
  • Classifieds

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

NNPA Observes Black Music Month, National Homeownership and Juneteenth

June 15, 2019

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire
Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia

As the trade association representing more than 200 African American-owned newspapers and media companies around the nation, the NNPA observes Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States as well as Black Music Month and National Home Ownership Month. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

In June, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) joins with millions of other Americans in celebration of Black Music Month and National Homeownership Month.

As the trade association representing more than 200 African American-owned newspapers and media companies around the nation, the NNPA also observes Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.

Among the many cities planning Juneteenth celebrations this year include Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Ocean City, New Jersey; Lexington Park, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Los Angeles, California; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; and Atlanta, Georgia.

According to the history of Juneteenth, on June 19th, 1865 and more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which became official on Jan. 1, 1863, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and slaves were now free.

The president’s proclamation freeing slaves had little effect because of the small number of Union troops available to enforce the Executive Order.

However, after the surrender of General Robert E. Lee in April 1865 and the arrival of Granger, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

With many also commemorating National Homeownership Month, the NNPA has long supported fair lending and housing practices as the organization has said it realizes that homeownership is one of the best ways of creating intergenerational wealth.

Companies like Wells Fargo have developed initiatives to help African Americans achieve the American Dream. In 2017, the banking giant announced a $60 billion lending commitment to create at least 250,000 African American homeowners by 2027.

In 2018, the Black homeownership rate stood at 42.2 percent – only tenths of a percentage point higher than the same rate reported by the U.S. Census Bureau a half century ago when the Fair Housing Act was signed into law.

That troubling fact served as the impetus behind the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) program to increase Black homeownership by two million over the next five years.

“Black homeownership is the first, and most essential step to build economic strength within our communities,” NAREB President Jeffrey Hicks said in a news release.

“We’ve lost more ground than we’ve gained over the past 50 years,” Hicks said.

“Whether through unmeasurable losses of equity during the country’s last economic meltdown, consistently high unemployment rates, unfavorable federal and state policies restricting affordable homeownership, or systemic mortgage lending barriers, Black homeownership – and therefore our wealth-building potential as a people—remain diminished,” he said.

Throughout the month of June, events are held to embrace the achievements, prominent timeliness and impactful moments of Black music.

Founded in 1979 by Kenny Gamble, Ed Wright and Dyana Williams, National Black Music Month recognizes the achievements, prominent timeliness and impactful moments of Black music.

It’s a chance to remember those musicians lost along the way and to encourage a pathway for young musicians to follow their dreams.

According to the National Museum of African American Music, on June 7th, 1979 Gamble, Wright, and Williams successfully lobbied President Jimmy Carter into hosting a reception to formally recognize the cultural and financial contributions of black music throughout history.

Since that fateful year, Black Music Month has grown from an intimate commemoration to national reach with an abundance of events held annually across the country.

As years went on many musicians, fans and influential individuals joined in celebratory observance during the month of June.

In 2016, via proclamation, President Barack Obama further defined June as African American Music Appreciation Month.

Obama declared that the start of summer would be a celebration for “the rich heritage” of African American music and how these instrumental musicians, “have enriched American music and captured the diversity of our Nation.”

“The music of our Nation has always spoken to the condition of our people and reflected the diversity of our Union,” Obama said.

“African-American musicians, composers, singers, and songwriters have made enormous contributions to our culture by capturing the hardships and aspirations of a community and reminding us of our shared values,” he said.

For more information about the NNPA and its initiatives, visit www.nnpa.org.

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Popular Interests In This Article: Black Music Month, Juneteenth Day, NNPA, Stacy M. Brown

Read More - Related Articles

  • Target CEO Attempts Damage Control After Weeks of Silence and Mounting Backlash
  • Lawmakers Fight to Save DOJ Office that Eases Racial Tensions
  • Harris Slams Trump’s Agenda as ‘Decades in the Making’
  • Trump Slaps Highest Tariff Yet on Small African Nation
  • Return to Jim Crow: Federal Regulations Rolled Back to Allow Segregation
Become Our Fan On Facebook
Find Us On Facebook


Follow Us On X
Follow Us On X

Editorials

Lakeshia Myers
Michelle Bryant
Dr. Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi formerly known as Dr. Ramel Smith

Journalists

Karen Stokes

Topics

Health Care & Wellness
Climate Change
Upcoming Events
Obituaries
Milwaukee NAACP

Politicians

David Crowley
Cavalier Johnson
Marcelia Nicholson
Governor Tony Evers
President Joe Biden
Vice President Kamala Harris
Former President Barack Obama
Gwen Moore
Milele A. Coggs
Spencer Coggs

Classifieds

Job Openings
Bid Requests
Req Proposals
Req Quotations
Apts For Rent

Contact Us

Milwaukee Courier
2003 W. Capitol Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53206
Ph: 414.449.4860
Fax: 414.906.5383

Copyright © 2025 · Courier Communications | View Privacy Policy | Site built and maintained by Farrell Marketing Technology LLC
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.