Jerrel Jones, a pioneer and vital figure in community journalism not only in the Midwest but nationally, passed this week. Jones, 85, was known as a fierce advocate for Civil Rights, social justice and community empowerment. He developed multiple entities that provided information and outlets for key issues. These included founding the Milwaukee Courier in 1964, and the Madison Times in 2013. Jones also purchased radio station WNOV in 1972. He created the Courier Communications Corporation in 1964 during the Civil Rights Movement, and it played a huge role in the desegregation of schools in Milwaukee. The Courier Communications’ purchase of WVON made it Wisconsin’s first Black-owned radio station, one of 80 nationwide. They added the Madison Times, a Black newspaper in that city, to their holdings in 2013.
Accountability and enlightenment have been the key attributes of the Milwaukee Courier since its inception. Jones gave it the slogan “the newspaper you can trust,” and it made timely, accurate information and commentary the linchpin of its agenda. Jones put performance ahead of personality in his assessment and evaluations of area politicians, even if he’d previously helped someone get elected. A major example was the recall effort he led against Democratic Senator Gary George, who had represented part of Milwaukee’s north side for several years.
Jones was appalled when George voted against then-Governor Jim Doyle’s efforts in 2003 to expand casino gambling in Wisconsin. The governor’s plan would have benefited Potawatomi Casino, which was one of the major employers in the Black community as well as a big adviser for the Courier. After George’s vote, Jones initially wrote a scathing editorial accusing George of betraying his supporters, then later launched a recall campaign against him in March of that year. His efforts led to some 15,000 signatures on the recall effort, and Jones acknowledged he’d supported George for over two decades, but felt obligated to back the recall due to George’s actions.
“He was a mentor, a pioneer, and a beacon of strength,” his daughter Mary Ellen Jones, general manager of WNOV, said in a statement on the station’s website June 9. Milwaukee mayor Cavalier Johnson added in a statement, “Milwaukee has lost a tian of local media with the passing of Jerrel W. Jones. His leadership of both the Milwaukee Courier newspaper and WVON radio provided important outlets for news, entertainment and information. Jerrel was an engaged owner and community leader. His family, friends and colleagues have my condolences.”
There will be a special tribute edition of the Milwaukee Courier published at the end of July acknowledging and celebrating the accomplishments and life of Jerrel Jones. Community members are invited to share their reflections and perspectives for this issue.
