‘Nokoa’ Nudges Along
Last week’s edition of the progressive African-American newsweekly Nokoa included a rare plea for financial assistance from Akwasi Evans, the paper’s founder, publisher, and editor. “Unforeseen circumstances and unkept pledges have driven us to the point where our best recourse is to humbly ask our readers to come to our rescue,” he said. “We’re not just insolvent, we’re broke!”
A week after making his impassioned plea, Evans says Nokoa‘s fiscal health has improved slightly. Several readers came through with contributions, he said, which give him optimism for the future of the 15-year-old free paper. “People who could least afford it made sacrifices.” At the same time, though, a number of advertisers haven’t paid their bills. While Evans benevolently blamed his clients’ tardiness on the holiday season (reaching toward those festive trays of cookies tires everyone’s check-writing hands), he didn’t rule out the possibility of being ripped off. It’s happened before, he said.
“Banks have misplaced my money, renters take our rent deposits … it’s not just Nokoa, it’s something acceptable when it happens to somebody black,” he said. “Other papers experience it, too.” Recently, he says, the Texas Publishers Association — a statewide network of black newspaper publishers — established a fund to help members during times of crisis.
Beginning next year, Nokoa will publish the letters Evans sends to companies who refuse to advertise. He’s written “well over half a dozen” letters to one prominent supermarket, but has never received a response. “We’re going after the market that has taken us for granted for a decade and a half,” he said.
This article appears in December 28 • 2001.