South Jersey Journal Publisher Al Thomas Dies
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
MULLICA HILL — Front Runner New Jersey.com learned on Tuesday morning that Al Thomas, publisher of the South Jersey Journal and Bridgeton Journal and a longtime Black advertising executive with the Philadelphia Tribune died on Friday, March 7.
Thomas was a friend of Front Runner New Jersey.com and our parent AC JosepH Media provided content for his publications for about two years. At the time of his death, Thomas was part of an organizing group of New Jersey Black news publishers.
In that, he was helping gather information on New Jersey gubernatorial candidates in the 2025 race to address issues affecting the state’s Black communities, among other issues.
He was a veteran advertising executive with the Philadelphia Tribune, one of the oldest Black newspapers in the United States and had established media and business contacts around the country through that work.
A determined, passionate media executive with the ability to equally engage people from all walks of life, Thomas spent his career cajoling clients and building on his efforts to keeping the Black Press relevant, even if he had to hand deliver issues himself. He only slowed down when health concerns got in the way.
While Thomas had privately shared his health challenges with his friends and some close associates in the past, he had talked to many about his upcoming newspaper issues, leaving colleagues and loved ones in shock. The cause of death is not currently known.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around this,” said Wilfredo Rojas,” a local friend, columnist and activist who often wrote for Thomas’s publications. “I had just talked with him the other day. This is a big loss for the community.”
Philadelphia-based journalist Denise Clay-Murray knew Thomas for years during his work and was, too, surprised by the news.
“I knew he had been ill but wow,” Clay-Murray told Front Runner New Jersey. “I knew him both from working with him in New Jersey and from the Philadelphia Tribune. One thing I’ll hand him is that he understood how important it was to allow folks the space to do their jobs within a media outlet. He trusted you to handle your end while he handled his. He will be missed.”
Penda Howell, publisher of the NJ Urban News, was an advertising executive with Thomas at the Philadelphia Tribune at one time and remained close friends. He said even though Thomas had a wealth of media advertising knowledge, he remained dedicated to serving the Black community through the media.
“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Al Thomas, a colleague, friend, dedicated Black Press member, publisher, and community leader,” Howell said.
“As the publisher of the South Jersey Journal, Al was a passionate advocate for truth, representation, and uplifting Black voices in media. His work helped shine a light on the stories that mattered most to communities often overlooked by mainstream news.
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Al’s passing is a tremendous loss, but his contributions to Philly, South Jersey, and beyond will not be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Cassandra Etienne, associate director of programming and membership for the Center for Cooperative Media, said she first met Thomas through her work at Montclair State University, “specifically through initiatives supporting the local news ecosystem in South Jersey and the growing Black press across our state.”
“In recent conversations, it was inspiring to see how energized he was about the relaunch of the South Jersey Journal and the launch of the Bridgeton Journal.” Etienne said. “Mr. Thomas was also enthusiastic about collaborating with fellow publishers as part of New Jersey’s Black press community. It’s deeply saddening to learn of his passing.”
Thomas was part of a coalition in Philadelphia that helped get the U.S. Postal Service to establish a Forever Stamp for NBA great Wilt Chamberlain. The Tribune at the time was a driving force behind that effort, that culminated in 2014.
A member of the Compassion & Choices African American Leadership Council, Thomas described the difficulty of losing a brother in 2020 to COVID-19 and caring for his parents before their deaths.
“When I learned about Compassion & Choices at a National Medical Association convention, I was really passionate about sharing it with the African American community because it really took an emotional, psychological and physical toll on me, seeing my mother dying,” he said in a NMA column in 2020.
“I tell people my story, what everyone should do to be prepared. Don’t be the way I was, because to this day, it still has a major impact on me. … It was very painful for me, and I don’t want anyone to go through this the way I did, I don’t care who they are.”
Thomas was a huge supporter of Princeton’s Laura Wooten, who was the longest-serving election poll worker in U.S. history before she died in 2019. Thomas testified in the New Jersey legislature in an effort by many to get a bill named after her to teach civics in state public schools passed and into law.
“I used to call her mother,” Thomas would say. “She was one special woman and set a great example for all of us.”
Thomas and the South Jersey Journal was a special mention in the Front Runner New Jersey Newsmakers of the Year honors in December.
Funeral arrangements were not known to FRNJ at this time, but this article will be updated as soon as that information becomes available.
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