Honoring the life and legacy of Thomas H. Watkins, Jr., a pioneering journalist, media entrepreneur, and champion for the economic and civic empowerment of the African-American community

Assembly Resolution No. 1506

BY: M. of A. Zinerman

        HONORING the life and legacy of Thomas H. Watkins,
        Jr.,  a  pioneering  journalist, media entrepreneur,
        and champion for the economic and civic  empowerment
        of the African-American community

  WHEREAS, This Legislative Body honors those who have dedicated their
lives  to  uplifting  their  communities,  amplifying  the voices of the
underserved, and whose legacies continue  to  inspire  generations  long
after their service has ended; and

  WHEREAS,  Thomas H. Watkins, Jr. was born in 1937 into a family with
a  proud  tradition  of   advocacy   for   African-American   rights-his
grandfather   argued   before  Congress  for  federal  protections  from
lynching, and his father helped expand the circulation of the  Amsterdam
News , New York's oldest and first fully unionized Black newspaper; and

  WHEREAS,  Thomas  H. Watkins, Jr. became a pioneering journalist and
media entrepreneur, founding the New York  Daily  Challenge,  the  first
Black  daily  newspaper  in  New  York City, which at its height reached
thousands  of  readers,  generated  nearly  $30  million  annually,  and
employed  dozens of African-Americans from its corporate headquarters in
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; and

  WHEREAS, Over the course of  his  distinguished  career,  Thomas  H.
Watkins, Jr. expanded the reach of Black media by founding and acquiring
publications  including  the  Afro  Times,  New  American,  Jersey  City
Challenge,   Paterson-Passaic   Challenge,   and    Newark    Challenge,
consistently    advocating    for    the    economic   independence   of
African-Americans and the enduring power of  the  Black  voice  and  the
Black dollar; and

  WHEREAS,   As   president   of  the  National  Newspaper  Publishing
Association from  1989  to  1992,  and  as  a  devoted  lifelong  member
thereafter,  Thomas  H.    Watkins,  Jr.  used  his  platform to mentor,
inspire, and uplift Black  journalists  nationwide,  delivering  keynote
addresses   for  organizations  such  as  United  Way  and  at  esteemed
institutions, including Historically  Black  Colleges  and  Universities
(HBCUs)   such  as  Bethune-Cookman  University  and  Johnson  C.  Smith
University; and

  WHEREAS, A committed community leader, Thomas H. Watkins, Jr. was  a
proud  member  of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, the
Comus Club, and the Reveille Club; throughout his life in Brooklyn,  New
York,  he remained steadfast in advocating for the financial empowerment
of African-Americans and the advancement of his community; and

  WHEREAS, In recognition  of  his  extraordinary  life  and  enduring
impact  on  journalism, the African-American community, and the City and
State of New York, it is fitting and proper that this  Legislative  Body
pause  to  honor  Thomas  H. Watkins, Jr. and his lifelong dedication to
empowering others through media, education,  and  economic  opportunity;
now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body hereby honors the life, legacy,
and  remarkable  contributions  of  Thomas  H. Watkins, Jr., who died on
Friday, December 19, 2025, and expresses its profound gratitude for  his
tireless  commitment  to  amplifying  Black  voices,  fostering economic
empowerment, and championing civic engagement; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Thomas H. Watkins, Jr.