Karen Carter Richards serves as CEO and Publisher of The Forward Times, the South's largest Black owned and independently published newspaper. Karen has continued the iconic legacy of her parents and after thirty years of working in the family business in various administrative and managerial positions, she took over the helm and transitioned the business into one of the leading multimedia companies In the country. Karen serves as 1st Vice Chair for the National Newspaper Publishers Association (N.N.P.A. consists of over 200 African American newspapers across the country). The Forward Times remains the strongest information vehicle and most trusted voice for African Americans in the city of Houston and throughout the southern region.

The Forward Times has been the recipient of various local and national awards for journalistic and digital excellence, including best graphic designs, layout, and editorial excellence. In addition to being an award-winning and historic publication, The Forward Times boasts a paid circulation of roughly 65,000 and is one of the few publications that holds a second-class mailing permit that allows us to mail the newspapers directly into the homes of subscribers. The Forward Times holds memberships in the National Newspaper Publishers Association, Texas Press Service, Texas Publishers Association, Texas Business Alliance and the Better Business Bureau.