Wallace “Jack” O’Neal Jackman, known affectionately as Jackie or simply Jack, passed away peacefully on October 27, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, mentorship, and unwavering dedication to community. A loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Jack’s life was a master class in combining heart, hustle, and humor. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Jack moved […]
Black press
Posted inLocal & State
Back in the Day award honors Al Brown as ‘Guardian of the Story’
Al Brown was awarded the 2025 Guardian of the Story Award at Southside Back In The Day for his decades of work in the Black Press and community storytelling, presented by MSR publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard.
Posted inLocal & State
Tracey Williams-Dillard honored with Congressional Record Award for over 50 Years in journalism
Tracey Williams-Dillard, publisher and CEO of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, was honored with a Congressional Record Award by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar for more than 50 years of service in journalism and her commitment to amplifying Black voices in Minnesota.
Posted inOpinion
National selective buying campaign targeting Target continues
The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has launched a National Selective Buying and Public Education Campaign in response to Target Corporation’s retreat from its DEI commitments, and is calling for companies to invest in their communities and partner with Black-owned media companies.
Posted inOpinion
Black Press and Church join forces with Target boycott to fight DEI decline
Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia, is leading a 40-day boycott of Target stores in response to the company’s decision to scale back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Posted inLocal & State
Sculpture honoring Cecil Newman delivered to Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
A bronze sculpture of Cecil E. Newman, created by Vi Runquist, was delivered to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder on March 20, 2025, to honor Newman’s legacy as a champion of Black journalism and social progress in Minnesota.
Posted inNational
Black students are the future of journalism
Black journalists are working to expand opportunities for young Black students to become the next generation of storytellers, as the Black press continues to be a force for change.
Posted inNews
Celebrating Black Press Day: The enduring legacy and future of Black media
Black Press Day 2025 honors the 198-year history of Black newspapers, which have provided a voice for Black Americans and amplified their stories, holding institutions accountable and ensuring that Black communities are represented accurately.
Posted inNational
NNPA launches ‘Missing & Black 2025’ campaign to address disparities in coverage of missing Black people
The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has launched the Missing & Black 2025 campaign to address the disparity in media coverage of missing Black individuals and increase visibility and resources for these cases.
Posted inOpinion
Trump threatens to rewrite Black history
The Black Press is our last line of defense against Donald Trump’s campaign to erase history and reshape it to suit his authoritarian ambitions, making it more crucial than ever to preserve Black history and the truth.
Posted inOpinion
Black Press, NAACP, and Lawmakers Warned America—Now Trump’s Project 2025 Agenda is Reality
Donald Trump’s administration has implemented several policies aligned with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, including reinstating harsh immigration policies, rolling back civil rights protections, and gutting diversity programs, despite his previous denials.
Posted inLocal & State
MSR Innovator: The influence of Wallace ‘Jack’ Jackman
Wallace “Jack” Jackman, co-publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder newspaper, has made significant contributions to the Black community through his entrepreneurial spirit.
Posted inNews
MSR in the turbulent ‘60s and ‘70s
Cecil E. Newman’s Minneapolis Spokesman and St. Paul Recorder were instrumental in chronicling the African American experience during the 1960s and 1970s.
Posted inSister Spokesman Highlights
Sister Spokesman’s ‘Tea, Treats, and Tops’: A sophisticated success
Sister Spokesman held its final edition of the year, a 90th Anniversary Legacy High Tea, which welcomed a capacity crowd.
Posted inArts + Culture
‘The Niagara Movement’: a documentary on the early battle for civil rights
The Niagara Movement, formed in 1905 by W.E.B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter, was named for the Niagara Falls location of the first meeting and the ‘mighty current’ of protest.
Posted inFeatured
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder ushers in 88 years of serving the community (photos)
Founded on August 10, 1934, MSR this year officially marks the beginning of its 88th year of operations.
Posted inFeatured, Local & State, National, News, Sports
Hall of Fame honor catches Hallman by surprise
Charles Hallman stands alone as the first writer inducted to the USBWA Hall of Fame who writes for the Black Press.
Posted inOpinion
Black history, Black print and you
‘The Black Press not only carries our history and stories, continuing the work of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, but our press has extended our stories to the digital world.’
Posted inFeatured, Local & State, News
Corporations fail to honor pledges to Black media
‘They don’t care enough about our community to be honest about it, and they know that nobody’s going to call them out on it.’
Posted inFeatured, Local & State, Opinion
The problem with the Minneapolis police has decades-deep roots
A look at Minneapolis’ decades-deep problem with police and the efforts to chronicle and fight bigoted misconduct.