By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Mike Bloomberg visits the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Alabama. Originally founded in the holding pen of a slave trader, the church was eventually led by one of our greatest Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Pictured left to right: Rev. Cromwell Handy, Mike Bloomberg, ASU President Quinton Ross and Bloomberg Campaign co-chair, Bobby Singleton / Source: Facebook.com/mikebloomberg)
Recognizing the importance of the Black vote and the reach of the Black Press of America, Democratic Presidential Candidate Mike Bloomberg has just delivered the largest single advertising buy to the Black Press in the 80-year history of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).
The NNPA is the national trade association that represents 230 black-owned newspapers and media companies throughout the nation.
The $3.5 million ad buy became official on Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, during Black History Month. It enables Bloomberg to continue his aggressive campaign for president with ads appearing in Black Press of America publications throughout the upcoming Super Tuesday states, as well as other key states where the Black vote will be the determinate factor in the Democratic Party primaries.
Columbia, South Carolina Mayor Steve Benjamin, who co-chairs Bloomberg’s campaign, said the deal is reflective of the former New York City mayor’s commitment toward building an inclusive economy.
“The Bloomberg campaign’s initiative is groundbreaking, and it goes to significantly increasing the economic health of African Americans by tripling their net worth,” said Mayor Benjamin. “The Bloomberg model is intentionally focused on creating a million new African American homeowners, 100,000 new African American-owned businesses, and $70 billion in federal capital to go in the 100 most challenged neighborhoods across the country.”
Benjamin added that the ad agreement counts as a recognition that, while some people only talk about accomplishing important initiatives, Bloomberg follows through. “Mike has a history and a record as mayor, CEO, and philanthropist, of getting things done,” Benjamin stated.
“The ad buy not only is a show of respect to the incredible impact and importance of African American journalism but also it is Mike walking the walk when it comes to his investing in African American-owned businesses.”
Steven N. Larkin, the NNPA advertising salesman who helped in negotiations with Bloomberg’s campaign, called the ad buy a “Historic partnership between Mike Bloomberg and the Black Press.”
Reaching Black America in 2020 is critical for all presidential candidates, according to the Brookings Institute, a nonprofit public policy organization in Washington, D.C.
In a recent study, researchers at Brookings noted that candidates increase their chances of winning the presidency by “taking the long-range approach of energizing Black voters. Both parties should not discount the powerful recent election results in which Black votes determined the outcome.”
A new Quinnipiac poll revealed that Bloomberg is steadily gaining traction among Black voters. The survey showed that Bloomberg rose seven points overall, just two points behind former Vice President Joe Biden, who dropped seven points.
Bloomberg now polls second among Black voters with 22% to Biden’s 27%. The former New York City mayor recently unveiled his Greenwood Initiative, which is designed to ignite economic justice for African Americans.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA, NNPA, emphasized, “It is appropriate and politically providential that candidates for the highest office in the nation recognize and sustain the significance of reaching African American voters through the Black Press of America via the NNPA. Mike Bloomberg has now stepped up to the plate with the commitment of his resources at this pivotal moment in history to affirm the importance of the Black vote in 2020.”