By Nick Jones
Abel Communications
Readers of the Visit Baltimore 2024-2025 Fall and Winter guide will see a familiar face early on, as AFRO News and Afro Charities leadership authored the issue’s lead story “Printing Progress.”
The AFRO is the oldest Black-owned business in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and reported on the civil rights movement at every step. Now they are taking readers through the journey at the tail end of what Gov. Moore declared, “Maryland’s Year of Civil Rights.”
The piece is written by AFRO Publisher and CEO Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy Draper and Afro Charities Executive Director Savannah Wood, both members of the founding Murphy family.
Featuring historical photos from the AFRO Archives, the story takes readers from the AFRO’s founding in the early 1890s, to the company’s exciting future plans.
“The AFRO is part of Baltimore’s story, and we are honored to share a bit of history with Visit Baltimore readers,” said Draper. “As leaders in the Black Press locally and nationwide, we document the people, places and stories that make Black History complete.”
Wood noted the important role Charm City has played in the records of time.
“Baltimore consistently punches above its weight when it comes to nationally significant history,” said Wood. “So much of that history is documented in the AFRO Archives. While we await our new headquarters, we’re proud to partner with museums and cultural spaces throughout the city to display these rich resources.”
Examples of AFRO-documented history can be found throughout Baltimore, including at the
National Great Blacks in Wax museum, the Lillie Carroll Jackson Museum, the Maryland Center for History and Culture and more.
In 2026, Afro Charities is set to open a state-of-the-art research center to house the AFRO
Archives, and serve as headquarters for both Afro Charities and AFRO News.
To learn more about the AFRO, visit afro.com. To support the AFRO Archives, visit afrocharities.org/donate.
About the AFRO
The AFRO is the oldest Black-owned business in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and the third-oldest in the United States. For over 130 years, the AFRO has offered a platform for images and stories that advance the Black community, fulfilling the vision of John H. Murphy Sr., a formerly enslaved man who founded the publication with his wife, Martha Howard Murphy. Today, through the leadership of Murphy’s great-granddaughter, Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, the AFRO remains the Black Media Authority, providing readers with good news about the Black community not otherwise found.
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