Advertising is the mother's milk of free weekly newspapers. Without it we would fail. Large daily newspapers that are traditionally dependent on subscriptions and purchases of individual copies are having a difficult time surviving in the changing economy. In the book by Armistead Pride and Clint Wilson entitled A HISTORY OF THE BLACK PRESS, it is noted that for African American Newspapers the struggle to survive is double. The dilemma that exists is that Black Newspapers are expected to cover controversial subjects and yet seek and gain Advertising from Institutions who they are expected to observe and criticize at the same time. For these reasons the Black Press is thankful to our advertisers. We must survive on advertising from businesses that understand the economic advantage of the niche market of Black Consumers we serve. These Advertisers also understand the need for the Black press to highlight the two sides of the social and economic progress and problems in their communities.
For these reasons the Journal is eternally thankful to our Advertisers who week after week for the past twenty years have provided us the fuel to survive. We have chosen the two who have been with us since the beginning since they set the example for others to follow. The Woods Valentine Family Mortuary has been serving this community for over eighty years. Metropolitan Baptist Church has been serving this community for over one hundred years. By helping the Journal to survive the service of these great Institutions is expanded with us in keeping our community informed and helping "our" story to be told. Without the advertisers there would be no Journal.It was through their saying yes to our call for support through advertising that we gained the inspiration to believe that what we were doing was right. It was through their saying yes that we found the faith to believe that we would find others that would answer yes to our call for support as advertisers. It was their early support that helped us in our belief in our message that they would receive a responsive reward for their investment.
We are equally thankful to others who have been there in good and difficult economic times to help us pay the printer, the staff, the interns and the distribution personnel. We are also thankful to our readers who have encouraged us to keep the Journal coming.
Thanks to many who volunteered, sometimes into the middle of the night, to make sure that the Journal got written and distributed to the public.
Thanks to those who helped us in the early days when we were learning on less than state of the art knowledge and equipment.
We pray that we have made you proud of what together we have created over the past twenty years. Without you we don't know where we would be.
Last, but not least, a big Thank You to all who have come forward now to join with us by buying an anniversary banquet ticket or place a congratulatory ad. By this, we realize you are saying thanks to us for placing your organization and church announcements, highlighting your children and focusing on the positive roles you play in our community. We know you are there support us, and we appreciate you. We also thank God for giving us the will to keep on keeping on, in good times as well as when times got rough.