Karen Carter Richards

Karen Carter Richards serves as CEO and Publisher for the Forward Times Publishing Company, Inc., a multimedia company that publishes weekly; the largest Black-owned and independently published newspaper in the southern region.

Karen is the daughter of the late Julius P. Carter and Lenora “Doll” Carter, original founders and publishers of the historic publication, which has served the community since 1960.  Karen has continued the iconic legacy of her parents and after more than thirty years of working in the family business in various administrative and managerial positions, she has taken over the helm and transitioned the business into one of the leading multimedia companies in the country. As a second generation publisher, Karen has creatively expanded the mission of the Forward Times and has continued her family’s publishing legacy to ensure that it remains the strongest information vehicle and most trusted voice for African Americans in the city of Houston and throughout the southern region.

The Forward Times has never missed a week of print.

Following the untimely death of her mother in 2010, Karen launched “The Julius and Lenora Carter Scholarship & Youth Foundation,” which supports students by granting scholarships and internships to those who aspire to have a career in journalism and communications.

Karen served as First Vice-Chair for the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) from 2015-2019. She was also selected as NNPA Publisher of the Year in 2018.  In June 2019 Karen was overwhelmingly voted as the new Chairman of the Board for the NNPA (The Black Press of America). NNPA is a trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers from around the United States. In June 2021, Karen was re-elected to a second term.

Because of her commitment and dedicated service, Karen has received numerous awards for her outstanding contributions. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Southeast Management District and the Houston Texans YMCA. In 2021, Karen was elected to serve on the Astrodome Conservancy, a private, nonprofit organization, whose mission is to promote the Astrodome’s legacy through preservation and development, advocate for public access, and create programming that inspires and engages.

Karen is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum (ALF) Class 48. Karen is the proud mother of three children: Jesse, Chelsea, and Nykayla. 

Karen Carter Richards

CEO, Publisher & Editor

Forward Times Publishing Company, Inc.

4411 Almeda Road

Houston, TX 77004

(713) 526-4727

www.forwardtimes.com