Candidate for
Board Member; Cincinnati City School District

Frederick Suggs Sr. is the dean of African American publishing in Cincinnati with a publishing career nearly 50 years. From NTP Magazine (News In Pictures) started in 1955 as one of the fast magazines owned by blacks in the nation to his current publication Tri-State Talk Magazine, Mr. Suggs has been a significant part of Black journalism in Cincinnati for the entire second half of the 20th Century

Mr Sugg's road to success has led him on a winding and sometimes steep path, since moving to Cincinnati in the 1940s from his home of Florence, Alabama. Mr Sugg's attended the Univ of Cincinnati from 1944 to 1946, studying Business Law, Journalism and Photography. He is a graduate of Burrell High School in Florence, Alabama.

His first job in Cincinnati was as a busboy at the Union Terminal. Even at a time when Blacks weren't hired as counter help, he worked his way up to "soda jerk' and then trainer. From the Union Terminal he went on to take a custodial job at Wright Aeronautical in Evendale. Always the overachiever Mr Sugg's advanced in this job and was promoted to lathe operator and then foreman.

In 1952, he opened his first photography studio at 1211 Linn St. in the West End the business would eventually propel him into publishing. At that time very few publications would run photos taken by African American photographers. Also, at that time were very few publications highlighting the positive accomplishments of people of color.

NIP was born in 1955 from a two-fold desire of Mr Sugg's - to showcase the work of Black photographers and to provide a venue to present the strides and challenges of the Black community. NIP presented the Queen City's African American comm8nity news in pictures in all areas -- education, religion, society, sports, the Arts, business and politics.

Mr. Suggs began NIP as an education tool for young and old alike to present the dreams, hopes, despair, failures and successes of Black people which are left out of most history books and today's periodicals as well. Mr. Suggs was publisher, editor, and CEO of NIP from 1955 - 1990. He has received many awards and honors for his publishing work including the Association of Black Electronic Communicators Award and the John H Sengstacke Distinguished Publishers Award. Seah Communications now owns NIP and recently renamed it Njema Magazine.

Along with publishing and his other business endeavors, Mr. Suggs became a tireless worker in the Queen City for the advancement of African American business development, the Shriner's, community affairs, civil rights and education.

As a civil rights worker in Cincinnati in the 60's, he was an active part of protests and negotiations to get downtown stores to hire Black sales clerks, and the integration of restaurants and movie theaters.

His work to promote Black business development included serving as a member of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce's Minority Business Committee and Regional Purchasing Council. He received the Progress Association for Economic Development Award.

Mr. Suggs is very active in Free Masonry. He is the Line Officer for Shrine Temple No. 59, member of Elisha Lodge No. 106, Prince Hall Masons F & AM and a member of Order of Eastern Star Elisha Chapter No. 89. He was honored for his Masonic work with the receipt of the Elisha Lodge No. 106 PHF&A Service Award.

Mr. Suggs has been very active in work with youth. A sports enthusiast himself, he was instrumental in founding the legendary West End Knothole Association -- the organization where Jim Yynn, formerly of the Houston Astros, got his early training. He was scout master of Troop 448, at one time the second largest scout troop in the city. And in 1993 Mr Suggs founded the "Friends of Taft High School Band Sponsors" to help support the Taft Marching Band.

His other community activities have been many and varied. He is a deacon of his home church of Bethlehem Baptist, where he is past president of Bethlehem Baptist Mass Choir. His other past offices include: serving as General Chairman of the Metropolitan YMCA, "Miles of Mankind;" a past General Chairman of the Walnut Hills YMCA, 1976 Member Drive, on Board of Management of Walnut Hills YMCA; a member of the University of Cincinnati Council of Afro-American Fellows, Dept of Afro-American Studies, and a life Member of the Cincinnati NAACP.

His honors for his community work include: being named Honoree of Cincinnati Urban League's 20 Foremost African American Pioneers in Local Leadership; Inductee of Cincinnati Afro American Community's Historical Archives at the Museum Center, recipient of the YMCA Award; the Boy Scouts of America Service Award; recipient of the Key to the City of Cincinnati; the American Cancer Society Appreciation Award; and the Ohio General Assembly Recognition Proclamation.

Mr. Suggs is still active in the publishing. In 1996 her founded Tri-State Talk Magazine, a monthly pocket-sized magazine, highlighting the Black community in pictures and articles on education, social events, politics, business, national news and the Arts.