*The founding of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) is celebrated on this date in 1940.
The NNPA emerged when John H. Sengstacke, of The Chicago Defender, organized a meeting with other Black news publishers intended for "harmonizing our energies in a common purpose for the benefit of Negro journalism". The group decided to form the National Negro Publishers Association. In 1956, the trade association was renamed the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
Since the early 21st century, the NNPA is composed of more than 200 Black newspapers in the United States and the Virgin Islands. They have a combined readership of 15 million, and the organization has created an electronic news service, BlackPressUsa web site, which enables newspapers to provide real-time news and information to its national constituency. In 2000, the NNPA launched NNPA Media Services a print and web advertising placement and press release distribution service.
