As retirement nears, John Edwards hopes Chattanooga’s Black newspaper will
outlive him.
By Yolanda Putnam
At 78 years old, John Edwards is thinking about the future of the newspaper he has spent nearly four decades building.
The founder of the Chattanooga News Chronicle says he plans to retire within the next year or two, leaving the publication in the hands of his son, Adrian, and daughter, Nikita. Before stepping away, however, Edwards wants the community to understand why he started the newspaper—and why he believes its mission is more important than ever.
“The top reason that I started the paper was to highlight the achievements of African Americans and give them information that would help them move forward,” Edwards said.
That mission has remained unchanged since he founded the publication, then known as the Chattanooga Courier, in 1989. This year, the newspaper became Chattanooga’s longest-running Black-owned newspaper, surpassing the record previously held by The Chattanooga Observer.
Edwards said the Chronicle was born from a belief that Chattanooga’s Black community deserved a publication dedicated to telling its own stories.
“Blacks were one-third of Chattanooga’s population at one time,” he said. “We had a lot of history in Chattanooga and its beginnings. I thought there was enough content that a Black newspaper would help serve the Black community. That’s still my hope.”
As he prepares for retirement, Edwards worries less about himself than about the future of Black-owned newspapers across the country.
“African American newspapers are struggling all over the country,” he said. “Several major Black newspapers have shut down because they can’t get support from their own community.”
He hopes Chattanooga will choose a different path.
“Our life depends on the community,” Edwards said. “We want to build on what we’ve started, and we want the community to help us build on it.”
He especially hopes to see more support from Black-owned businesses and churches, which have long served as the newspaper’s primary distribution network.
“Historically, churches have been the center of our leadership,” Edwards said. “Just about every economic level of Black people attends church, so by placing papers there, we can reach the entire community.”
Despite financial challenges, Edwards said giving up has never been an option.
“Even though the support isn’t there, we know there’s still a need for it,” he said. “I’m just not a quitter. I’m going to give everything I’ve got before I quit something.”
He believes Black-owned newspapers continue to play a vital role by preserving history, providing reliable information and ensuring communities can tell their own stories.
“We’ve got to have a voice,” Edwards said. “Our community needs to be educated. Information is the best weapon you can have.”
His son, Adrian Edwards, who serves as co-publisher, said that mission remains as relevant today as it was when the nation’s first Black-owned newspaper was founded in 1827.
“While social media gives everyone a platform, the Chronicle remains a unified voice that informs the community and helps focus its political and economic interests,” Adrian Edwards said.
The newspaper’s future is already becoming a family legacy. Son, Adrian Edwards, Co-Publisher, has helped modernize the publication with advances in technology; daughter, Nikita Edwards-Brown, Chief Financial Officer, oversees its finances and daily operations; and wife, Faith Edwards, Executive Editor, is responsible for the paper’s content and quality control.
“When my son came back from college, I still had a typewriter,” Edwards recalled with a laugh. “He came right on time.”
He said both of his children are well prepared to carry the newspaper forward.
“They have more skills than I do,” he said.
Throughout his career, Edwards has been recognized for his contributions to journalism and entrepreneurship, receiving Minority Business of the Year honors from the Urban League and the Chattanooga Area Minority Business Association, as well as the 2025 NAACP James R. Mapp Citizen of the Year Award recognizing the newspaper’s impact on the community.
A Vietnam veteran, Edwards received the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and the Army Commendation Medal for his military service. He said those experiences shaped his determination to make the most of the time he has.
“I’m going to do what I can while I’m here,” he said.
The Chattanooga News Chronicle will celebrate its 37th publishing milestone at 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at Greater Tucker Baptist Church. Tickets are $75 a person. Retired healthcare executive Ruth Williams Brinkley will deliver the keynote address, dinner will be served, and award-winning vocalist Karen Collins will perform.
For Edwards, however, the celebration is about more than longevity.
“I want people to know what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said. “Not to take publications like ours for granted. They have a purpose. They have a history.”
He paused before offering one final thought.
“We’re standing on the shoulders of those who came before us,” Edwards said. “I just hope the paper has longevity and that the people who come after me will continue the work.”
With son, Adrian Edwards and daughter, Nikita Edwards-Brown preparing to lead the next chapter, that work—and the voice John Edwards set out to preserve nearly four decades ago— appears poised to continue.
Ruth Brinkley keynotes Chattanooga New Chronicle Celebration
The Chattanooga News Chronicle gives voice and identity to Chattanooga’s Black community, said Ruth Williams Brinkley, retired president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States.
“News is crowded, and the media landscape is crowded,” Brinkley said. “Sometimes uplifting stories and encouraging stories get left out. The Chronicle takes a step back and tells stories about the contributions of Black citizens, reminding all of us, not just Black people, but the entire community, of the impact Black Chattanoogans have made on this city and the surrounding area.”
Brinkley will be the keynote speaker at the Chattanooga News Chronicle’s 37th Milestone Celebration at 6 p.m. on Sept. 18 at Greater Tucker Baptist Church.
Brinkley has spent decades leading major healthcare organizations while remaining committed to community service. She served as president and chief executive officer of Memorial Hospital (now part of CommonSpirit Health) from 2002 to 2008. She later became president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, where she oversaw one of the nation’s largest integrated healthcare systems.
The dinner celebration will also feature award-winning vocalist Karen Collins and will commemorate the newspaper’s distinction as Chattanooga’s longest-running Black-owned newspaper. Tickets for the Milestone Celebration are $75 per person and $600 for a table of 8. Tickets may be purchased at Radiant Salon, 603 M. L. King Blvd., Chattanooga, TN 37403. For information on tickets or sponsorships, see information below..
For decades, The Chattanooga Observer held that distinction after publishing for 35 years. Then came John Edwards who started The Chronicle in 1989 as the Chattanooga Courier. Renamed the Chattanooga News Chronicle, the publication is celebrating 37 years of continuous service to the community this year.
Come join us for the 37th milestone celebration on Friday, September 18, 2026!
TICKETS are $75 per person and can be purchased at RADIANT SALON, located at 603 E. M. L. King Blvd., Chattanooga, TN 37403, 423/475-6122.
For purchase of tables, (Table of 8 is $600.00) multiple tickets of 4 or more, and/or for delivery, call Ms. Faith at 423/308-9969.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Nikita Edwards-Brown at edwards.nikita@gmail.com
For general information, call the Chronicle office at 423/267-2313.