...to Culture Riot!!
I had all of these grand plans to start this newsletter weeks ago. But let me tell you...putting together a magazine (even in digital) is hard work! I barely saw my friends this Summer. If I had a spare moment, I was meeting with writers, editing, brainstorming with my consiglieres, and formatting this site. Even with AI, building a site is hard for someone who does not code! (This site was not built by AI) All of that work which began in my mind...almost 10 years ago!! And now here we are: a meeting of the independent, non-algorithmically influenced minds, ready to get deep, get weird and get busy with ideas!!!
All of the articles in this issue are like my children - I LOVE THEM ALL!! But I want to take a moment to spotlight a couple of pieces you should really dig into!
To Be Haitian Is to Be In a Permanent State of Anxiety
This was the very 1st article I commissioned because it's a personal issue for me. It's been so heartbreaking and disgusting to see how this administration has been targeting and treating Haitian Americans. I've always known that Haitian people have been part of the Black American Diaspora since slavery (Look up Charles Deslondes - know your history!). It has angered me to how the mainstream media has attempted to make us think that what they are doing to Haitian Americans, cannot happen to ALL OF US. It's also affected my friends. To see in real time how this administration is using policy to break the hearts and families of Americans in the name of RACISM is truly enraging. The talented Contributor, Ruth Jean-Marie (@lesocialnomad) took the time to write this for me while she was in the midst of moving to London for grad school. It's a powerful piece made all the more special, being accompanied by an image of original work by one of my favorite modern artists, Francks F. Deceus (@deceusart). If you'd like to see it in person, "Carib-Import #1" is a mural on the The Greg Tate Art Wall at MoCADA Ubuntu Botanical Garden.@mocada_museum
New York Is Never Just New York: The City At The Center Of The Stroll
Last Friday was September 11th and also the 25th Anniversary of the tragedy. In New York City it is a sacred day where most of us physically and emotionally pay our respects to the victims and reflect. This year has been eventful politically as a minority faction of the city wanted Mayor Mamdani to avoid the memorial service this year because he's Muslim. Our brilliant Mayor handled this idiocracy with grace, truth and strength. A real leader always understands they must lead to unite, instead of divide. This piece is written by the talented filmmaker and journalist, Farah Al-Hashem, where she looks at the global reach of Mayor Mamdani and what that means for New York City and the US. When she first pitched it to me, who would have thought an NYC Mayor attending the 9/11 Memorial would be such a big issue? Now it feels like a deliberate, well intentioned story bringing this all full circle to what matters - New York City elected a fantastic Mayor!
When you look on Linkedin and the mainstream media reporting on the media ecosystem it's grim: layoffs, consolidation, capitulation. The Fourth Estate has failed us. According to The Pew Research Center, 57 percent of Americans have low confidence that journalists act in the Public's best interest. What we're trying to do here is build a new infrastructure, outside of the current "Tech Oligarch" system where we can learn, speak the TRUTH, share ideas and create community. In that spirit, I'd like to close with a few other sources that are also working within our same mission. Thank you for listening! ~ Editor Nikki
The Fourth Estate
Nick Fulton has created this amazing weekly digest that reports on what's happening in journalism. Please also read Nick's amazing article for Culture Riot about how corporate media has abandoned LGBTQIA+ issues!
Adora Brown
The Washington Sun just launched within the last couple of weeks. They hired lots of freshly laid off Washington Post journalists (hopefully lots of diverse journalists as well) and are committed to reporting on local DC news. This is important since the Washington Post vastly downsized their local and regional news desks.