ABOUT The African Times-USA

The African Times-USA is an American news journal edited and published biweekly from Los Angeles, California, USA.  It has a nationwide circulation averaging 86,000 with a pass-along readership of 1.6 making it’s per issue reader count 137,600 and an estimated 3,302,400 reader count per year.  The African Times-USA editorial focus is Africa, news analysis, political reviews, business and economic developments, arts and cultural realities, travel and tourism developments and guest opinions and interviews of leading Africa players from governments, academia, the arts, business and Diaspora. 

History

The African Times-USA was launched in 1989 as the first US news journal focusing on Africa and the Africa Diaspora.  The news journal’s founder is Nigerian-born Charles Chinyere Anyiam, with an extensive background as a journalist and editor in Africa, especially with the The Daily Times of Nigeria in Lagos. He has also written for the authoritative West Africa Magazine, the African Guardian and other special interest publications. He also served as a radio commentator on the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation as part of his widely acclaimed stint on the African journalism scene.  Mr. Anyiam is a frequent guest on U.S. television and radio newsmaker programs and sought as an Africa media-insider speaker, both in the U.S. and Africa.

 In 1990 he was joined by R.S. Mracky, a marketing media executive and the publication re-positioned itself to serve the then-growing African-Émigré market in the U.S.  The editorial content was re-engineered to include not only local coverage but U.S. national, with editorial emphasis on Africa’s interface with America and America’s interface with Africa and her developing nations.  The format was graphically altered and a masthead statement adopted “Africa’s Influential Media Voice in America, since 1989”.

Since then The African Times-USA has attained a national reputation as Africa’s most influential paper in America and both as a guardian of fairness of Africa issues and a media opinion resource for the U.S. media, American academia and the international financial community.

The African Times-USA on many issues has become a leading resource – it was the first publication in the United States to publish the Black Book which initiated the current Kartun, Sudan action in Darfur; it was the first one, after the 9/11 to publish a demographic research report of the Muslim African-Émigré in the U.S. upon which Washington based many of their discourses, it was the first Africa oriented publications which in 1999 outlined a new course for African tourism development, termed “The Africa Tourism Marshall Plan” which served as a blueprint for several African national tourism programs.

The paper amplifies and clarifies the Africa issues and developments, and provides investigative reports from its on-the-ground reporters.  As one of its prime editorial and research objectives are researching and reporting on the major African players who emerge onto the African and international political, economic and art scenes; in many instances the ones who formulate Africa’s future.

Charles C. Anyiam is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The African Times-USA.

Community Outreach

The African Times Publications, the publisher of The African Times-USA, is the producer and presenter of the annual Africa Achievement Awards in concert with the Los Angeles based Africa diplomatic corps; namely the Consulate General of Ethiopia, Consulate General of Kenya and the Consulate General of South Africa plus the African Union Ambassador’s office to the U.S.A. in Washington DC.  The Awards benefit the Celebrate Africa Foundation, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) foundation, which supports the development of Africa’s local media and press.

The Awards have achieved importance in Africa’s presence in the U.S. as an important social and cultural event, and for the African countries a highly coveted international recognition event.

Mission Statement of The Awards is:

“The excellence of Africa’s past, present and future is measured by the achievements of her people and support by her friends.  Each year there are those who distinguish themselves in service and achievement to warrant recognition and since 1991, it is the Africa Achievement Awards that honor them.”

The Africa Achievement Awards were first presented in 1991, and continually then after.  Over the years various organizations participated in co-presenting the Awards, among them The Los Angeles Times, UCLA, and others.  

The Africa Achievement Awards have honored a distinguished and deserving group of individuals and organizations including President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mariam Makeba, Stevie Wonder, President William J. Clinton, President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Abdoulaye Wade, First Lady Chief (Mrs.) Stella Obasanjo, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congressman Mervyn Dymally, Dr. Mathias Fobi, Rev. Dr. Michael B. Beckwith, Dr. Dora Nkem Akunyili, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, plus many outstanding and highly deserving organizations among them: National Geographic Society Television, Western Union International, Ethiopian Airlines, Association of Nigerian Physicians in The Americas, the National Broadcasting Company-NBC.

In 2000 the Awards Organizing Committee responded to the African diplomatic community requests and included the yearly celebration of Africa Day, the one day of the year mandated by the African Union to celebrate Africa.  To honor the Africa Day Celebrations, the Awards are scheduled as close to May 25th, the official date for the Africa Day, as possible and have become a major factor of the Awards and America’s celebration of Africa.

Social Consciousness

The African Times is a strong supporter of community, environmental and Africa causes and a Media Sponsor of many organizations and events. Among them the Africa Travel Association (ATA) by providing the organization full support in promoting tourism to Africa with an advertising campaign developed by the Africa Consult Group, a Times company, and running on the pages of The African Times-USA.

The Future

The African Times Editorial Board foresees an important position for the paper; in helping to communicate the needs of the Continent and thus assist in formulating the policy for Africa’s future and influencing those charged with the “People’s Business” to make sure it is being done for the benefit of all the People. 

Our support of Africa based media is unwavering; through the Celebrate Africa Foundation we endeavor to have our colleagues exposed to the 4th Estate and the importance of independent and free media in Africa today and in the future.

All of us at The African Times-USA dream of the day when talented media and press people from across the African Continent see, speak and write brilliantly to help bring growth, prosperity and peace to Africa.

Those of you who would like to comment on what we do, provide ideas for the future or offer your assistance are encouraged to contact us.