Alexandria Black History Museum
Through December 2027

Moss H. Kendrix: Reframing the Black Image delves into the groundbreaking contributions of Moss H. Kendrix (1917-1989), a pioneering figure in public relations and advertising. Known as the “Father of Black Public Relations,” Kendrix’s innovative campaigns redefined African American representation in media during the Jim Crow era, making significant strides for more inclusive and authentic portrayals.

During a time when African American people were still treated as second class citizens under oppressive system of racial segregation that upheld the bigoted legal standard of “separate but equal,” he appealed to Black people’s aspiration for access to the “American Dream.”

The exhibition features objects from the Moss H. Kendrix Collection, offering a unique glimpse into his influential career. Visitors will explore his strategic work with major clients like The Coca-Cola Company, Ford Motor Company, and Carnation Milk, and see firsthand how his activism helped challenge and dismantle entrenched racial stereotypes, promoting more inclusive and respectful media representations.

In 1948, Kendrix founded The Moss Kendrix Organization in Washington, D.C., to market to Black consumers, create job opportunities for Black people in excluded industries, and transform the advertising landscape through his commitment to valuing diverse perspectives, embodied in his motto, “What the Public Thinks—Counts!”

Learn More

• View the Collection in Historic Alexandria Collections Online
• View Photo Gallery: Exhibit Opening
• Watch a Lecture: Dr. Brenna Wynn Greer traces how Black public relations guru Moss Hyles Kendrix enlisted white corporate America in a campaign to redefine black citizenship after World War II. Dr. Greer also examines how Kendrix and his work—so visible and so important in the early Cold War era—was almost lost to us. This lecture was hosted by Alexandria Black History Museum on February 17, 2021.
• View Slideshow: Moss H. Kendrix and the Moss H Kendrix Organization
• View Slideshow: Conservation Needs
• Moss Kendrix: pioneer, trailblazer, visionary. Out of the Attic, originally published in the Alexandria Times, February 20, 2020
• The Moss Kendrix Collection at the Black History Museum. Out of the Attic, originally published in the Alexandria Times, January 14, 2021.
• The MLK - Moss Kendrix Connection, Out of the Attic, originally published in the Alexandria Times, January 13, 2022.
• The Moss Kendrix Collection: -- Guess Who? Through his work Moss Kendrix met many famous faces – how many can you recognize?
   

How you can Help

You can help fund conservation of this collection with a donation to the Alexandria Black History Museum. To direct your donation to the Moss Kendrix conservation project,  please make a note under Comments on the donation page.

• Donate to the Kendrix Collection

Museums preserve our history. The interpretation of history by museums helps visitors discover people important to our past. Often museums preserve history by preventing its destruction. This is the case with the Moss H. Kendrix Collection.

In 1989, Kendrix’s office was packed up and stored in a locker at The Vault Storage facility in Temple Hills, Maryland. After storage charges were not paid, the owner of The Vault, realizing the historical significance of the materials, reached out to Eugene R. Thompson, the Director of the Alexandria Black History Resource Center. Thompson, also realizing its importance, purchased it for $100.

The Kendrix Collection became part of the City of Alexandria in 1989 through the Black History Resource Center, now the Alexandria Black History Museum.

Moss H. Kendrix (1917-1989) was an African American public relations professional with an impressive roster of clients, including The Coca Cola Company. His work influenced the way Black American consumers are viewed in advertising, which impacts not only material culture but our society as well. Unfortunately, by the time of his death, his transformation of the advertising industry had almost been forgotten.

Since acquiring the collection, the Alexandria Black History Museum staff have worked to acknowledge the significance of the Moss H. Kendrix Organization (MHKO) and the remarkable vision and determination of Kendrix, who understood What the Public Thinks - Counts!