Kendrix, Moss

Moss Kendrix was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 8, 1917. His early education took place in local public schools. He often bragged that Lena Horne, one of the most celebrated African American female entertainers, was a close childhood friend. Following his graduation from high school, he attended Morehouse in Atlanta, the most prestigious college for African American men. His career in public relations was sparked at Morehouse, where he edited the school newspaper, The Maroon Tiger. It was during his college years that he joined Alpha Phi Alpha, the first African American fraternity. He also co-founded the Phi Delta Delta Journalism Society, the first and only society of its kind for African American journalism students.

Following graduation from Morehouse in 1939, he felt the necessity to honor black journalism pioneers by creating National Negro Newspaper Week. Although he was admitted to Howard University Law School in 1939, he deferred the offer and opted to improve his journalistic skills by gaining work experience. In 1939, he also married Dorothy Marie Johnson, a student at Spelman College, a premier black college for African American women, also located in Atlanta.

Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941, Kendrix worked for the Treasury Department in the War Finance Office. In this capacity he traversed the nation with African American luminaries, such as composer-musician Duke Ellington and singer Billy Eckstine, promoting war bonds. It was at this [Page 473]juncture that he regularly appeared on radio programs for the CBS network.

Kendrix subsequently became the director of public relations for the Republic of Liberia's centennial celebration in 1944, an experience that laid the groundwork for his illustrious career in public relations. During his career as a lobbyist, he was the first African American to represent a mainstream organization and often had the opportunity to work with other black lobbyists such as Edgar G. Brown and Leslie S. Perry.

The power of the African American market during the early 1940s was not recognized by many of the white-owned and oriented organizations, companies, advertising agencies, and public relations firms. So in 1944 he started his own public relations firm, the Moss Kendrix Organization. The agency, located in Washington, DC, heralded the mantra “What the Public Thinks Counts.” Understanding the purchasing power of the “Negro market” was crucial to getting the market noticed with retailers, manufacturers, and on Madison Avenue. The economic clout of the market was reinforced in an issue of the Negro History Bulletin in 1956, which featured Kendrix on the cover. Moreover, the article contended that disposable income of blacks paralleled that of Canada; doubled that of Belgium, Greece, and Australia; and tripled that of Sweden. The article further noted that the Wall Street Journal had suggested that “sales messages must be slanted” toward the Negro people. Thus, Kendrix, a skilled communicator, was relentless in his efforts to gain attention for the virtually untapped Negro market. He established a remarkable rapport and reputation with some of the most prominent business leaders in the country who valued his counsel. In his quest to gain notice for African American consumers, he became the conduit between the Coca-Cola Company, one of the largest beverage companies in the world, and the black community.

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