Rosetta Miller-Perry, the trailblazing publisher, civil rights advocate and founder of the Tennessee Tribune, died Friday, June 26, 2026. She was 91.

Miller-Perry dedicated her life to ensuring the stories, achievements and voices of Tennessee’s African American community were told with accuracy, dignity and purpose.

Before founding the Tennessee Tribune in 1991, Miller-Perry began her newspaper career with the Nashville PRIDE, working under the publication’s founding publishers, Dr. Larry Davis and Dr. Cynthia Hodge. The experience helped shape her understanding of community journalism and laid the groundwork for what would become one of Tennessee’s most influential Black-owned newspapers.

Prior to entering the newspaper industry, Miller-Perry spent more than 25 years in public service. She worked for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and later served with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, building a career centered on advocacy, civil rights and equal opportunity.

In 1991, after being unable to secure financing from local banks, Miller-Perry invested $70,000 of her personal savings to launch the Tennessee Tribune. Under her leadership, the newspaper grew into one of Tennessee’s leading Black-owned publications, providing news coverage, highlighting Black-owned businesses and serving as a powerful voice for civil rights and community advocacy. She later relocated the newspaper’s headquarters to historic Jefferson Street, establishing its permanent home in the heart of Nashville’s historic Black community.

Her career would eventually lead her to establish the Tennessee Tribune, creating another influential voice in Tennessee’s Black press. While the two newspapers would later become competitors, both played important roles in informing, educating and advocating for African American communities across the state.

In addition to her work in journalism, Miller-Perry founded the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce and was a charter member of Les Gemmes, continuing a lifetime of leadership and service to the community.

Paying tribute to Miller-Perry, Davidson County Register of Deeds Karen Johnson reflected on the personal role Miller-Perry had played in her life.

“Our city and state, our media, and our military organizations (especially military women) mourn the passing of Rosetta Miller Perry, whose well-deserved accolades are many,” Johnson said. “But to me, she was Mama Rosetta, my Godmother, who stepped in to guide me when my own mother, one of her best friends and ‘soror’ died. She was someone whose wisdom I sought, whose advice I trusted, and whose example inspired me. She never hesitated to encourage me, challenge me, and remind me to serve others with integrity and purpose.”

Johnson said she and her husband, David, were grateful they were able to spend time with Miller-Perry and her daughter, Wanda, shortly before her passing.

“My heart is broken that she is gone,” Johnson said, “but I am so thankful that my husband, David, and I were able to spend a few minutes yesterday with Rosetta and her daughter, Wanda. I will treasure Mama Rosetta forever.”

The Tennessee Tribune announced that the work Miller-Perry began more than three decades ago will continue. In the coming days, the newspaper plans to publish additional stories celebrating her extraordinary life, enduring legacy and immeasurable contributions to journalism, civil rights and the communities she loved.

Rosetta Miller-Perry leaves behind a lasting legacy as a publisher, entrepreneur, civil rights advocate and community leader whose work helped shape the landscape of Black journalism in Tennessee. Her commitment to telling the stories of African Americans with integrity and purpose will continue to influence generations of journalists and publishers yet to come.