In North Omaha, The Omaha Star continues to thrive, evolving through decades of change. Since 1938, Nebraska’s only Black-owned newspaper has amplified the voices of the community. Today, with Terri Sanders leading the charge, the paper is transforming into a national cultural landmark.

“The paper’s been going for 87 years. We’ve never missed a publication day, and that won’t start with me,” Sanders emphasized during an interview with NNPA Newswire. As the mother of Symone D. Sanders-Townsend, a former vice-presidential advisor and MSNBC journalist, Sanders remains fully committed to preserving Omaha’s beacon of Black journalism.

Related: Black Press Week galvanizes advocacy, celebrates legacy, and mobilizes voters

A Legacy of Black Women Leadership

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO of the NNPA, applauded Sanders’ efforts, saying, “The NNPA congratulates Terri Sanders and The Omaha Star for their outstanding service and leadership in the Black Press of America.” Thanks to Sanders’ leadership, a national museum honoring the Black Press is now underway.

Since its founding, The Omaha Star has had only five publishers, all of whom were Black women. This consistency reflects the paper’s resilience, a legacy Sanders upholds with pride. In 2020, when she took over as publisher, the pandemic posed an immediate challenge. “Our ad revenue dropped significantly,” Sanders recalled. Theaters, which had provided a significant portion of the Star’s advertising revenue, closed. Nevertheless, Sanders ensured that the paper continued to publish every two weeks, without interruption.

Reviving The Omaha Star Amid the Pandemic

Although the pandemic created financial hurdles, Sanders moved quickly to modernize the paper’s operations. She enhanced its digital presence and reinstated features like Family of the Week, a tradition started by founder Mildred Brown. “Young people didn’t know what The Omaha Star was,” Sanders explained. By sharing family stories and photographs, she successfully reconnected the community with the newspaper, revitalizing its role in everyday life.

Before assuming the role of publisher, Sanders had already shown her dedication to preserving Black history by reviving the Red Plains Black History Museum. After two decades of closure, she restored the museum to operational status. Initially, Sanders saw her role as interim publisher of The Omaha Star as temporary, but she soon embraced the responsibility fully, leading the newspaper through a crucial period.

The Omaha Star Institute: A Vision for the Future

In 2023, Sanders took a major step toward securing The Omaha Star’s future by founding the Omaha Star Institute and purchasing the newspaper. She began developing plans to transform the paper’s historic headquarters into a world-class journalism museum. “They told me to dream big, so I did,” she recalled, noting that the $830,000 grant she secured will help fund renovations of the North Omaha building, which holds a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sanders plans to use the museum to honor Black journalists and preserve historical exhibits. Next door, she is developing the Mildred Brown Strolling Park, featuring a “walk of fame” that celebrates Omaha’s Black legends, including media mogul Cathy Hughes and civil rights leader Father John Markoe. The park will also commemorate the work of the Omaha DePorres Club, a civil rights organization that collaborated closely with The Omaha Star.

Honoring Black History and Journalism

Blair-Freeman, Nebraska’s only two Black women contractors, are leading the restoration of the building. They are collaborating with Architectural Offices to preserve the building’s historical integrity while converting it into an educational space for future generations. “It’s symbolic that we’re the only Black women-led publication in Nebraska, and now we’re working with the state’s only Black women contractors. It’s come full circle,” Sanders noted.

As Sanders directs the $3 million project, she reflects on the strength of the Black women who led The Omaha Star before her. “All of our publishers have been Black females. I’m the fifth,” she said. Determined to uphold this legacy, Sanders works with young people through the Omaha Star Institute, teaching them journalism skills and ensuring the paper’s future remains bright.

For Sanders, The Omaha Star is more than just a newspaper—it is a symbol of community and Black resilience. “People say newspapers are dead. That’s not true,” she insisted. With the museum expected to open in 2025, Sanders believes The Omaha Star will continue to make an impact far beyond Omaha. “This will be a national treasure,” she declared. “We’re teaching the next generation of journalists, and we won’t stay silent. We will tell our stories. That’s the power of The Omaha Star.”