Xavier University of Louisiana is hosting the virtual forum “Today’s News: The Changing Role of the Black Press in Louisiana Life” on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at 6 p.m. CST, presented by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH). The forum will discuss the evolution of Black journalism and its impact on the United States, focusing on Louisiana Black press. The event will feature writers, publishers, and editors discussing the role of Black press in American history.

“It is extremely important that a historically Black college or university (HBCU) host an event discussing the importance of the Black Press because the Black Press, just like HBCUs, educated African American communities across the United States at a time when information was often represented one-sided,” said Sharlene Sinegal-Decuir, Ph.D., the Keller Endowed Professor of History and chair of the department of history at Xavier University of Louisiana. “The Black Press and HBCUs gave the African American community their own space to represent, educate and validate our Blackness and place in American history.”

Dr. Sinegal-Decuir will act as a moderator for the event, with opening remarks from LEH Executive Director Miranda Restovic and Xavier University President Dr. Reynold Verret. The forum is an apex of the multimedia series “Split Press: Democracy, Race, and Media in Black and White,” which explores the preservation of African American and Afro-Creole experiences of citizenship and civil rights in Louisiana using the media. “Split Press” is a project of the LEH that is part of the Democracy and the Informed Citizens Initiative, funded by a grant from the Federation of State Humanities Councils and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The event is free and to the public. Registration is available by clicking here.