Thalian Hall pays tribute to Mary Alice Jervay Thatch and her lasting legacy
WILMINGTON (WWAY) — This week, events around Wilmington will stand in remembrance of the 1898 Wilmington massacre and coupe d’état, and recognize the triumphs of community as this year marks the 125th anniversary.
Tonight, a tearful Thalian Hall paid tribute to a Wilmington trailblazer, Mary Alice Jervay Thatch.
The program titled, “The Black Press Rising From the Ashes of 1898” honored Thatch for her roles as publisher and editor of the Wilmington Journal, and the pardoning of the Wilmington Ten, as well as the legacy she left behind.
The journal is housed across the street from where “The Daily Record” once stood, before being burnt down in the 1898 massacre. In 1901, three years after the tragedy, R.S. Jervay started a printing company. And, in 1927, the now historic Wilmington Journal published its first edition.
It endured a bombing in 1973, carried out in retaliation for its coverage of the Wilmington Ten. At the time, Thatch’s father, Thomas C. Jervay, ensured that the publication remained open, without fear or bias.
Following in his footsteps, Thatch was the third generation to print the paper that served Wilmington’s Black community.
Tonight’s program featured public officials, descendants of the 1898 victims, Wayne Moore of The Wilmington Ten, Rev. Dr. Barber, activists, and community leaders. All came together to pay tribute to Thatch.
It was presented by the Southeast region of the National Black Leadership Caucus. Sonya Patrick is the regional director. For her, it’s the Black press that gives voice to the Black community.
“After the atrocities of the 1898 massacre, we did not have a voice. The Black press is our voice. And no one has the right to destroy that, or take that away from us,” she explained.
The program honored the Jervay family for amplifying and advocating for that voice.
And tonight, Patrick celebrated their lasting legacy, “because they kept the community – the Black community – and gave us the voice we deserve, without fear, nor favor.”
For more information on the local National Black Leadership Caucus, visit here.
