Moss Kendrix

Moss Kendrix was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1917. He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta. While there he became editor of the school newspaper, The Maroon Tiger, and also cofounder of the Phi Delta Delta Journalism society which was the first and only society of its kind for African-American journalism students. After graduating Morehouse in 1939, he created National Negro Newspaper Week. Kendrix was drafted in 1941 and served in the United States Army. While in the service Moss worked in the War Finance office, traveling across the country promoting war bonds, often appearing on radio shows for the CBS network. Kendrix became the director of public relations for the Republic of Liberia’s Centennial Celebration. Because of his success with this event, he was inspired to have a career in public relations. He founded his own public relations firm in the same year, The Moss Kendrix Organization. The firm’s motto was “"What the Public Thinks Counts!". Based in Washington, D.C., the organization was in charge of major accounts targeting African-American consumers. The Coca-Cola Company, Carnation, the National Dental Association, the National Educational Association, the Republic of Liberia, and Ford Motor Company were all clients of the firm. In addition to his corporate work, Moss was also the host of a weekly radio program, "Profiles of Our Times," on WWDC for many years. The Moss Kendrix Organization gradually phased out of operation in the 1970s, but the legacy of his work continues to live on. Moss Kendrix died in December, 1989. Kendrix made corporate America aware of the buying power of African-Americans, as well as the need to tap this powerful market for employment opportunities. This, in turn, opened up the arena for other