The Charlotte Post is celebrating 50 years since the Johnson family took ownership of the newspaper at its annual banquet this weekend.
Articles from the publication are on display at a mobile exhibit.
“Each decade tells a different story as to how that progression took place,” said Gerald Johnson. “We try to make it a community company.”
Gerald Johnson’s father, Bill Johnson, bought the newspaper in 1974, and it has been owned by the family since then.
“When I arrived at The Post, everything was in black and white and newspapers were laid out using wax and X-acto knives,” said Herbert White, editor-in-chief. “It was laid out by hand.”
White said The Post has grown into a communications company with a second paper in Durham, the expansion into digital, podcasts, video, and community forums.
The company highlights stories that appeal to a general audience told from a Black perspective.
“You will see subjects that The Post was reporting on in the early 1970s,” White said. “We’re talking about 50 years ago and a lot of that stuff still plagues and engages people in this community.”
[ Robert Johnson, co-publisher of The Charlotte Post, dies ]
Along the way, they have focused on uplifting youth and awarded money for college through The Charlotte Post Foundation.
“We’ve been honoring scholars since 1975 because no one else was doing it after integration with the schools,” Gerald Johnson said.
Now, the team is focused on keeping it going with the next generation of the Johnson family ready to take the baton into the next 50 years.
The Charlotte Post Foundation’s annual banquet will honor local community leaders, educators and top students.
If you’d like to donate to the youth scholarships, click here.