A Triumphant Victory For Chicago Black Media
A Triumphant Victory For Chicago Black Media
By Darrell Garth
Signed sealed and delivered, are not just lyrics of one of Motown’s greatest hits. Mariano’s representatives came to a recent meeting packing enough ammunition to close out a series of meetings favorable for all parties involved.
An agreement was reached between representatives of Chicago’s Black media and its newest community partner, Mariano’s.
On Thursday, July 27, 2017 we; (the Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Inc. CCNG), along with other members of Chicago’s Black media including: TBT News, Chicago Crusader, Chicago Defender, WVON and N’DIGO, were able to walk away from the negotiating table feeling that our voices had been heard.
Several months ago, TBT News publisher Carl D. West led the call to challenge Mariano’s and Wholefood’s to do the right thing by creating partnerships with the Black media. It was the hope of Mr. West and others that Mariano’s could become a good community partner by doing business with the Black press, which collectively reaches thousands upon thousands of Black consumers daily.
A round of applause is in order for our new community corporate partner, Mariano’s who answered the call!
After a series of meetings with Mariano’s, we left the table on yesterday feeling victorious! Each media outlet received a firm commitment of 17 weeks of advertising including one sponsorship event for the remaining of Mariano’s 2017 fiscal year.
As for the 2018 advertising year, hopefully it will look even brighter! Thank you again, Mariano’s for being a good community partner and for setting a standard we hope others in the industry will follow.
What Mariano’s proved on Thursday is that they have plans to be a leader and a dominant force among other grocers in the industry. Mariano’s has stayed the course and is building positive relationships in the community which will last for generations to come.
As a second-generation publisher of the Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Inc., it was an honor to sit at the table. The opportunity to be a part of the process spoke volumes to me personally. Representing the Citizen was a personal honor for me as I sat elbow-to-elbow with others who have shared that same space with our late publisher, my father, Bill Garth.
The positive relationship the Black press started with Mariano’s just goes to show you that when we speak the same language and allow one voice to be heard, at the end of the day, the results can be phenomenal! It also shows you that together, we can accomplish great things, when we
demand nothing less than accountability.
There are a number of corporations that have been identified as possible future partners and since there’s a show of strength in solidarity, we know we can’t aord business as usual.
The fight continues and the Black press must continue to ensure Black people have a seat at the table...not only through hard work, persistence and due diligence, but by continuing to be the eyes and ears of the Black community now and for generations to come.
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