LENORA

Being invited to share the legacy of Forward Times on CW39’s “Honoring Black History” special felt deeply personal.

For Black History Month, the team did not just want an interview. They wanted to walk the halls. To step inside our historic headquarters on Almeda where we have been planted since 1961. To flip through archives that date back to our very first edition on January 30, 1960.

What started in my grandfather Julius P. Carter’s garage as a positive Negro newspaper is now one of the largest independently owned Black publications in the country. For 66 years, we have never missed a week of print.

That kind of consistency is not accidental. It is legacy. It is sacrifice and it is faith.

Watching my mother carry this institution forward after both of her parents passed and transition us from print into the digital era has been one of the greatest masterclasses of my life. She did not just maintain what was built. She expanded it.

Now, we lead together, with her wisdom guiding us and her trust allowing me to step forward and carry the vision into its next era.

What makes this chapter especially meaningful is that no one had to pass away to pass the torch. I get to build beside her while also taking the lead in innovating, expanding, and positioning Forward Times for the generations to come.

I feel aligned with my purpose. Entrusted with something sacred. Walking and working in the shadow of a giant and committed to honoring the foundation while boldly building what is next.

Thank you to CW39 for stepping inside the history and helping us share it. ✨