By BM Phillips IV
AFRO President
August 13th marks the 132nd consecutive year of publication for the AFROC-American Newspapers, founded in 1892 by John H. Murphy Sr.
Determined to succeed, Murphy, father of 11 children, borrowed $200 from his wife, Martha Howard Murphy, at age 51. With the support of their children, a historic journey began that continues today with fourth, fifth and sixth generation family members.
Just a month before Murphy entered the publishing business, Murphy’s youngest son, David Arnett Murphy, also known as “D. Arnett,” was born on July 9, 1892, marking the beginning of the second generation of the publishing company’s owners. AFROCTogether, they set a standard of commitment, ensuring the company’s success and the pursuit of fairness and equality for black Americans. They also supported other like-minded publishers.
When the founder died in 1922, his children began an expansion that resulted in the company expanding its offices north and south and growing to 13 editions. AFROC became one of the largest black publications with over 200 employees, many of whom were unionized. The printing press ran every day except Sunday.
The company sent seven correspondents (including the first black woman) to the Atlantic and Pacific theaters to report on the news during World War II. Their reports are documented in the book “This is Our War,” which was published last year in a special reprint to mark the 75th anniversary of the desegregation of the U.S. armed forces.
Dr. Frances Murphy Draper, CEO and Publisher, explains in the book’s foreword: “Today, as lawmakers across the United States seek to trivialize and rewrite Black history, it becomes even more important for us to document and share our own stories.
“This is Our War” does just that by highlighting the triumphs and challenges faced by black soldiers. In their own words: AFROC Journalists provided confidential information, including names and addresses of soldiers they encountered. In some cases, this also included messages to loved ones at home.”
The newspaper has always been at the forefront of fighting against racial inequality and suffering that threatens our readers. In order to shed light on the issue and advocate for better conditions, the company needed to be financially independent to ensure its message could not be distorted or silenced. It became clear that advertising revenue was critical to funding these efforts, and hiring a sales team enabled the company to AFROC to increase circulation and achieve its goals.
Particularly noteworthy are the achievements of D. Arnett Murphy. He began his career at the newspaper at the age of 13 and worked for the company for 66 years.
His first jobs included bookkeeper, printer, linotype operator, make-up artist and reporter. At one point he directed a sporting event called AFROC Marathon, but eventually he discovered that advertising was his specialty.
As Director and Vice President of Advertising, his team drove revenue growth during his tenure. To support AFROC He operated offices across the East Coast and invested in his teams by holding sales meetings and conferences to share initiatives and train current and new employees for success.
Partnerships with similar publications across the country helped to increase revenues. In 1940, D. Arnette Murphy was elected vice president of the Eastern District when what is now known as the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) was formed. Today, the NNPA represents more than 200 black-owned newspapers, both print and digital.
In 1944, he founded Associated Publishers and served as its president. The agency then represented 35 other weekly newspapers.
D. Arnette Murphy, a key figure in the company’s management, served as a shareholder, voting trustee and member of the board of directors until his death in 1972. He retired from day-to-day operations in 1963.
As his niece Elizabeth “Bettye” Moss reported, he was called “Chief,” “Mr. Arnett,” or simply “DA” by colleagues and friends. He was an avid reader and an interesting conversationalist, known for his love and care for people.
His influence extended beyond his involvement with the company and he was proud of his role in the integration of Baltimore City’s public golf courses. Along with other members of the Monumental Golf Club and the Citizens’ Civil Rights Committee AFROC Management responded quickly to the denial of access to one of the public golf courses and helped finance the legal proceedings that opened the public courses to everyone in 1948.
D. Arnette Murphy was a lifelong member of the NAACP and served on the board of Advance Federal Savings and Loan, whose mission was to help African Americans obtain credit and build their credit.
Like his younger brother Carl J. Murphy, D. Arnett Murphy had no sons. He and his wife, Sadie Clark Murphy, had three daughters, Mae E Dyson, Virginia Murphy and Arnetta Lottier, who followed in the footsteps of his generation, working at the newspaper and contributing their talents as members of the board of directors.
As mentioned in the article about his death, he was very involved with Grace Presbyterian Church, serving as a trustee for many years and a member for 50 years.
So as we blow out the candles for another year, let us not forget those who got us here – people like D. Arnett Murphy, my great-grandfather’s youngest son and daughter.
BM Phillips IV is the current president of AFRO and great-grandson of founder John Henry Murphy Sr.
