Nov. 10 event at Thalian Hall to honor the late Mary Alice Jervay Thatch
The former publisher/editor of the Wilmington Journal will be honored during ceremonies commemorating the 1898 Wilmington Massacre and coup d'etat
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Reservations are now being accepted to attend a free community event Nov. 10, 6 p.m. at Thalian Hall in Wilmington, NC honoring the late Mary Alice Jervay Thatch.
She was a pioneer in the civil rights and a free press movements following the 1898 massacre in Wilmington, which resulted in the only successful coup d’etat in US history.
The event is called “The Black Press Rising from the Ashes of 1898”.
It’s timed to coincide with the day 125 years ago when a heavily-armed mob of white activists burned down the city’s Black-owned newspaper, The Daily Record, and staged a bloody overthrow of the city’s government.
WWAY’s print media partner, The Wilmington Star News, has compiled a reading and resource guide about the 1898 massacre and events leading up to, and following it. That guide is available here .
The Director of the Southeast Region of the National Black Leadership Caucus, Sonya Patrick, is also chair of the 1898 Observance Committee, Inc.
She stopped by WWAY’s Good Morning Carolina to preview Friday’s event with co-host Donna Gregory.
“We expect the community to come together, giving honor to Mary Alice [Jervay] Thatch, who has given so much to the community,” Patrick said.
“You can’t talk about 1898 without talking about the impact of the Black press,” Patrick continued.
“Manly’s press, The Daily Record, was located right across the street from where the historic Wilmington Journal now stands.
Mary Alice Jervay Thatch became a third-generation editor/publisher of The Wilmington Journal in 1996.
She died in December of 2021, during pandemic restrictions, so the Committee decided Nov. 10, 2023 would be a suitable time to celebrate her contributions to the Wilmington, NC community.
“We can’t change the past, but we can move forward together as a community in love and harmony,” she added.
“I think it’s important to a lot of people in the community that know the contributions that The Wilmington Journal has given,” Patrick said, “and so we’re glad to give this honor to Mary Alice Jervay Thatch.”
“We have public officials and leaders giving tribute to her as well, performances by Christa Faison, a violinist, Marva Robinson of the Williston Gospel Choir and Sol Tree Reign, a local jazz group,” Patrick said.
The event starts at 6 p.m. at Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St. in Wilmington.
To reserve a seat to Friday’s event
, visit here .
