Washington, D.C. has been buzzing all week with the energy of the Congressional Black Caucus. One of the most impactful moments happened inside the Conrad Hilton Hotel, where the Black Press of America hosted its Annual National Leadership Awards and Reception.
The evening honored House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, and CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. But the night belonged to civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who came with more than words; he came with action.
Known as “Black America’s Attorney General,” Crump took the stage with urgency in his voice.
“Right now in America, we’re under attack like we’ve never been in our lifetime,” he said. “Nobody carries the Black narrative and the Black information to Black communities more passionately than the Black Press.”
Then he put his money where his mouth is. Crump pledged $50,000 to the Black Press, structured as $10,000 a year for the next five years.
His gift, he explained, was about more than generosity; it was about responsibility. “Everybody got to give a little more when they can. If you’ve been blessed, you got to pass the blessing on,” he told the packed ballroom. “Our fraternity teaches us we must lift as we climb.”
For Crump, supporting the Black Press is both personal and urgent. He reminded the crowd of its legacy, publishing Emmett Till’s photo when mainstream media turned away, amplifying Dr. King when others dismissed him, and chronicling the Black experience for nearly 200 years.
Now, as the institution nears its bicentennial, Crump says the Black Press needs more than applause; it needs investment.
Quoting his Omega Psi Phi Fraternity brother, attorney Billy Murphy, he added: “In America today, we got enough African Americans who are educated, articulate, and intelligent. What we seem to lack is enough African Americans who got courage to speak truth to power. That’s what we got to have when we’re facing bullies. We got to be unapologetic defenders of Black life, Black liberty, and Black humanity. Now more than ever.”
Crump’s $50,000 is a start, but he challenged others in the room—and beyond—to step forward with advertising, sponsorships, and donations.
