Ask the U.S. Senate to Recognize November 2027 as Black Media Month
The Issue
Black media has helped determine what America could know about itself.
In 1866, The Christian Recorder published Hagar Outlaw's appeal to find eight children sold away from her during slavery. In 1955, Jet circulated photographs of Emmett Till after Mamie Till-Mobley chose an open-casket funeral. The Chicago Defender helped Black southerners access information about migration and employment. Broadcaster Tom Joyner used national radio to advance public service and educational philanthropy.
These contributions deserve a recurring place in America's civic calendar.
Why November?
Seven consequential Black publications began in November:
- November 1884: The Philadelphia Tribune, founded by Christopher J. Perry.
- November 9, 1901: The Boston Guardian, founded by William Monroe Trotter and George Forbes.
- November 1910: The Crisis, launched by the NAACP under W. E. B. Du Bois.
- November 15, 1926: Fire!!, the Harlem Renaissance literary magazine.
- November 1, 1942: Negro Digest, founded by John H. Johnson.
- November 1, 1945: Ebony, launched by Johnson and named by Eunice Johnson.
- November 1, 1951: Jet, Johnson's influential weekly magazine.
November 2026 marks Jet's 75th anniversary and Fire!!'s centennial.
These anniversaries explain the choice of November. The observance would honor the entire Black media tradition, including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, photography, filmmaking, digital journalism, and the contributions of Black media professionals across the industry.
Black History Month celebrates Black achievement across generations. Black Music Month recognizes a particular field. A dedicated Black Media Month would similarly encourage historical education, preservation, and public appreciation.
What are we asking Congress to do?
We ask U.S. senators to introduce and adopt a resolution recognizing November 2027 as Black Media Month and encouraging voluntary educational, journalistic, and archival activities.
This would be an initial act of congressional recognition. Establishing a permanent statutory national observance would require separate legislation.
March 2027 will mark 200 years since the founding of Freedom's Journal, America's first Black-owned and operated newspaper. That bicentennial, together with November's publishing anniversaries, makes this a meaningful moment for national recognition.
Please add your signature in support of recognizing November as Black Media Month.
The historical record is established. The congressional decision remains ahead.
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The Issue
Black media has helped determine what America could know about itself.
In 1866, The Christian Recorder published Hagar Outlaw's appeal to find eight children sold away from her during slavery. In 1955, Jet circulated photographs of Emmett Till after Mamie Till-Mobley chose an open-casket funeral. The Chicago Defender helped Black southerners access information about migration and employment. Broadcaster Tom Joyner used national radio to advance public service and educational philanthropy.
These contributions deserve a recurring place in America's civic calendar.
Why November?
Seven consequential Black publications began in November:
- November 1884: The Philadelphia Tribune, founded by Christopher J. Perry.
- November 9, 1901: The Boston Guardian, founded by William Monroe Trotter and George Forbes.
- November 1910: The Crisis, launched by the NAACP under W. E. B. Du Bois.
- November 15, 1926: Fire!!, the Harlem Renaissance literary magazine.
- November 1, 1942: Negro Digest, founded by John H. Johnson.
- November 1, 1945: Ebony, launched by Johnson and named by Eunice Johnson.
- November 1, 1951: Jet, Johnson's influential weekly magazine.
November 2026 marks Jet's 75th anniversary and Fire!!'s centennial.
These anniversaries explain the choice of November. The observance would honor the entire Black media tradition, including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, photography, filmmaking, digital journalism, and the contributions of Black media professionals across the industry.
Black History Month celebrates Black achievement across generations. Black Music Month recognizes a particular field. A dedicated Black Media Month would similarly encourage historical education, preservation, and public appreciation.
What are we asking Congress to do?
We ask U.S. senators to introduce and adopt a resolution recognizing November 2027 as Black Media Month and encouraging voluntary educational, journalistic, and archival activities.
This would be an initial act of congressional recognition. Establishing a permanent statutory national observance would require separate legislation.
March 2027 will mark 200 years since the founding of Freedom's Journal, America's first Black-owned and operated newspaper. That bicentennial, together with November's publishing anniversaries, makes this a meaningful moment for national recognition.
Please add your signature in support of recognizing November as Black Media Month.
The historical record is established. The congressional decision remains ahead.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on November 2, 2026