125th Observance of The Black Press Rising from the Ashes of 1898, Tribute to Mary Alice Jervay Thatch

Thalian Hall I 310 Chestnut Street I Wilmington, NC

Free To The Public

Mary Alice Jervay Thatch is the publisher/editor of “The Wilmington Journal”, The oldest black publication in North Carolina.  Mary Alice is known for her work on “The Pardon of Innocence for the Wilmington Ten.”. The Wilmington Ten gained national attention when nine young men and a woman were wrongfully convicted in 1971 in Wilmington, North Carolina, of arson and conspiracy. Most were sentenced to 29 years in prison, and all ten served nearly a decade in jail before an appeal won their release. The case became an international cause célèbre, in which many critics of the city and state characterized the activists as political prisoners.

Amnesty International took up the case in 1976 and provided legal defense counsel to appeal the convictions. In 1978, Governor Jim Hunt reduced the sentences of the ten defendants. In Chavis v. State of North Carolina, 637 F.2d 213 (4th Cir., 1980), the convictions were overturned by the federal appeals court on the grounds that the prosecutor and the trial judge had both violated the defendants’ constitutional rights. They were not retried. In 2012, the Wilmington Ten, including four who had already died, were pardoned by Governor Bev Perdue. This pardon would not have been possible without the contributions of Mary Alice Jervay Thatch.

The Wilmington Journal historic building resides across the street, where the only daily black press in the country resided in 1898 known as, “The Daily Record ”, the Editor Alex Manley, before being burned down by white supremacists.  The 1898 Massacre and Coup d’etat were recorded as the only successful government takeover in American History. This tragic event took place in Wilmington, NC on November 10, 1898, murdering unarmed Black citizens. This year marks the 125th Observance. Later laws of voter suppression, were passed in the NC General Assembly. Congressman George H White, NC’s first Black Congressman was redistricted out of office.

The Wilmington Journal is an outgrowth of a printing company that was founded in 1901, three years after the 1898 Massacre and Coup Detat. In 1973 The Wilmington Journal was bombed.  The editor during that time of the bombing was Mary Alice’s father, Mr. Thomas C. Jervay. Under his uncompromising leadership, The Wilmington Journal’s doors remain open without fear or favor.

The event is free to the public, tickets are required visit the link below.

Sponsorships are available (see the link below for more details)

Tributes will be rendered from, national, state, and local leaders, including:

• Frances Weller, Mistress of Ceremony
• Rev. Dr. William Barber II
• Wayne Moore, The Wilmington Ten
• Dr. Ben Chavis, NNPA and The Wilmington Ten
• Randy Voller former Mayor of Pittsboro, NC
• NC Senator Natalie Murdock
• NC House Deb Butler
• The Descendants of the 1898 Massacre
• Pastor Kojo Nantumbu

And More

The program will also feature local artists including:

• Marva Robinson of The Williston Gospel Choir
• Sol T Reign
• Christa Faison, Voilinist
• Spoken Word Artist