Pioneering Publisher, Founder of New York’s First Black Daily Newspaper, to Be Buried in New Rochelle

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (January 12, 2026) — Thomas H. Watkins, the founder, chief executive officer and publisher of the New York Daily Challenge — New York City’s first Black-owned daily newspaper — died in December 2025 at age 88 following health challenges, according to family members and colleagues.

Watkins founded the New York Daily Challenge in 1972. At its height, the newspaper reached thousands of readers, generated nearly $30 million per year and employed dozens of African Americans from its headquarters in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. It attracted advertising from major corporations including Pfizer, General Electric and Ford.

Watkins expanded his media network by founding and acquiring additional Black-owned publications, including the Afro Times, New American, Jersey City Challenge, Patterson-Passaic Challenge and Newark Challenge.

He served as president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association from 1989 to 1992 and remained active in the organization for decades. Watkins advocated for Black economic empowerment through independent media ownership, describing Black newspapers as “economic engines capable of employing Black workers and retaining advertising dollars within Black communities.”

He emphasized that “ownership—not merely participation—was essential to Black political and economic advancement.”

The newspaper covered stories often overlooked by mainstream outlets, including police misconduct, housing inequities, political boycotts, electoral campaigns and international liberation struggles affecting people of African descent.

Watkins is survived by his brother, Kevin Thomas Watkins; his children, Kerri Watkins and Thomas H. Watkins III; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Burial will take place at Beechwoods Cemetery in New Rochelle, New York. No specific date or time for the burial service has been publicly announced in available reports.

This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.