In a Juneteenth reflection, AFRO CEO and Publisher Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper argues that the holiday serves as a reminder not only of delayed freedom for enslaved Black Americans but also of the nation’s ongoing failure to deliver the equality and justice promised after emancipation. She contends that recent discussions about compensating some participants in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, while reparations for descendants of enslaved people remain stalled, highlight what many view as a persistent double standard in whose suffering receives political attention and urgency.
Author Archives: Frances Toni Draper AFRO Publisher
Posted inCommentary
Don’t like how our community is being portrayed? Turn it off. Cancel it. Stop giving it power.
This editorial calls on readers to challenge and disengage from media coverage that distorts or diminishes Black communities, emphasizing the power of audiences to shape narratives by withholding attention, support and resources from outlets that fail to provide fair, contextualized reporting.
Posted inEditorial
‘A whole civilization will die tonight’?: Dangerous words, 93 million lives, and a Congress that must act
An AFRO editorial by Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper warns that escalating rhetoric from the 47th president toward Iran risks normalizing mass destruction, endangering millions of civilian lives and increasing the likelihood of catastrophic conflict, while urging Congress to reassert its constitutional authority over war.
Posted inOPINION
Black Women are losing ground. Now inclusion is on trial.
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper CEO and Publisher AFRO News The pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion is not new. For years, these efforts have been questioned, criticized and quietly rolled back. But what we are witnessing now is different. What was once rhetoric is now enforcement. In a federal lawsuit filed this year, the […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. The man who stopped
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy Draper More than forty years ago, in a crowded corridor in Nassau, Bahamas, I watched Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. do something small that revealed something immense: he stopped. My mother, Frances L. Murphy II—then publisher of the AFRO-American Newspaper—and I were attending a conference where he was the keynote […]
Posted inWord In Black
Commentary: When a Black newspaper goes quiet
The closure of the Richmond Free Press underscores the fragility of Black-owned newspapers, which provide culturally competent reporting, community accountability, and coverage that mainstream media often misses. The Black Press remains vital for civic engagement, equity, and sustaining local voices.
Posted inBlack History
Protect the day, protect the truth
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy DraperAFRO CEO and Publisher As the nation marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the real question is not how loudly we celebrate — but whether we are willing to live by the values Dr. King demanded. Each January, the nation knows how to celebrate. We mark the day. We replay […]
Posted inEditorial
AFRO CEO reflects on 2025: A year of resilience and relevance in Black journalism
The AFRO, a Black-owned news outlet, has been publishing for 133 years and continues to be a source of truth and self-definition for the Black community, covering a range of topics from public safety to culture and sports, while also honoring the legacy of Black leaders and preserving Black history.
Posted inWord In Black
What’s in a coin?
By Dr. Frances ‘Toni’ DraperWord in Black More than metal. More than money. More than nostalgia. A coin is a declaration — of who a nation chooses to honor, what it chooses to remember and what it is willing to erase. That is why what happened at the U.S. Mint should unsettle anyone who cares […]
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: I came of age at college…I fear for my grandchildren there
By Dr. France “Toni” Murphy DraperWord in Black I remember college as a place of possibility. We protested — yes — but we did so with sit-ins, with leaflets, with raised voices and locked arms. We marched and we sang “We Shall Overcome Someday.” We believed, perhaps naively, that collective courage and moral clarity could […]
Posted inEditorial
This Christmas, give our children something that will grow with them
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy DraperAFRO CEO and Publisher Every holiday season, we search for the perfect gifts for the children in our lives. We want the joy and the surprise. But most of what we buy doesn’t last. Sneakers lose their shine, video games get replaced and toys are forgotten by spring. As families […]
Posted inEditorial
This Christmas, don’t let our elders be the last ones noticed
This Christmas, make sure to include and honor the elders in your family by listening to their stories, inviting them to contribute to conversations and decisions, and showing them appreciation with small gifts.
