URL Weekly 03/22

Next-level reporting. Innovative Black & Brown publishers.

Friday, March 22, 2024

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Today is Friday, and we’re highlighting stories from across the URL Media network about preserving inclusion initiatives in the wake of political backlash, a secretive organization targeting an NYC council member for her pro-Palestine comments, and a $12 million boost to restore Hawaii’s forests.

Tomorrow we’re looking at a tale of two neighboring school districts: one that understood the importance of serving its immigrant communities and the other that recently learned when it tried to make cuts to its heritage language programs. — Alicia Ramirez

Uplift. 🙌🏼 Respect. 💯 Love. 💛

🗳 These Latina Socialists are hoping to unseat Biden: Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia are running for president and vice president of the United States, respectively, as candidates for the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The pair said their decision to run was motivated by a deep dissatisfaction with the current political landscape. Luz Media has more here.

💨 Toxic air highlights state’s failures: Cloverleaf, Texas, is one of a string of communities that sits in the shadow of the 52-mile-long Houston Ship Channel. Locals say the air usually smells like rotten eggs, nail polish, or burning tires. And while many wonder if the air is responsible for their respiratory issues and skin ailments, information about what they’re breathing in every day is hard to find. palabra. has the story here.

💻 The rise of disinformation in the US: Barbara McQuade, a professor of practice at the University of Michigan Law School, joined WURD Radio this week to discuss her new book, “Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America.” 🎧 Listen to the full interview here.

More: Spanish-language disinformation campaigns target Latinos (La Noticia)

📺 Why the media and law enforcement are fueling crime fears nationwide: Data from the FBI shows violent crime had fallen back to pre-pandemic levels and murder rates dropped 6.1% across the country in 2022, but nearly 80% of people believe crime is on the rise. So, what’s behind the discrepancy? PushBlack has the story here.

Join us in celebrating the launch of URL Media’s new hub for independent journalism by Black and Brown publishers! Discover the stories and perspectives that matter. Check it out here.

✊🏽 Unpacking DEI challenges in this political climate: Netta Jenkins, a leader in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) space joined Immigrantly to discuss what is lost when DEI programs are eliminated, the biggest beneficiaries of DEI initiatives, and how DEI can be improved. 🎧 Listen to the full interview here.

🇯🇴 Secretive organization targets city council member for pro-Palestinian comments: Canary Mission recently added NYC Council Member Shahana Hanif to its list of individuals that promote “hatred of the USA, Israel and Jews” after she called for a cease-fire and denounced Israel’s attack on Palestinian civilians. Documented has the story here.

More: Columbia University is in a legal battle over pro-Palestine student groups suspension (Prism)

🚨 UNICEF warns of looming humanitarian crisis in Haiti as violence escalates: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti as escalating violence, coupled with the paralysis of Haiti’s capital by gangs and lack of access to vital health and nutrition intervention, threatens to further destabilize the nation. The Haitian Times has the story here.

⛓️ Calif.’s formerly incarcerated struggle to access mental health resources: Jorge Arturo Ruiz was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a prison psychiatrist suspected his inclination for picking fights might be a sign of suicidal behavior. For the final 18 months of his sentence, Ruiz saw a therapist monthly and was provided with the tools he needed to live with his mental illness. But after his release, he’s struggled to obtain the mental health resources he needs. Black Voice News has his story here.

💸 Miss. settles suit alleging wrongful termination, but where did the money come from?: Last year, Mississippi settled a civil suit filed by a woman who claimed she was fired from work due to discrimination for a reported $240,000. However, state records show that money might have come from federal grant money meant to support the state’s most impoverished. Black Girl Times has the story here.

🪡 Jamaican mother-daughter duo fills fashion’s empty niche: Lolita Malone, who grew up in rural Jamaica sharing clothes with her younger siblings, developed a penchant for fashion at a young age, making old clothes new and tailoring them to fit her slim frame. Now, she and her daughter, Maui, are taking the New York fashion scene by storm. Epicenter-NYC has the story here.

📝 Why this writer refuses to commit to one genre: Cynthia Pelayo started her career as a community reporter, then pivoted to creative writing. In this episode of Latina to Latina, Pelayo shares how her success forced her to rethink her boundaries, and how being the mother to two children with autism informs her writing. 🎧 Listen to the full interview here.

🏈 Film about Native high school football team headed to film festival in Calif.: “Through the Storm,” an award-winning short documentary about the Red Lake Nation high school football team was screened this week at the prestigious AmDocs Film Festival in Palm Springs. Native News Online has the story here.

🤩 Fraternity unveils $2M fundraising effort for St. Jude’s: When it comes to serving children, the brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., continue to put their money where it counts. The fraternity recently announced a $2 million fundraising initiative for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Watch The Yard has the story here.

📷 Meet the man documenting Detroit’s abandoned buildings: For the last year and a half, Eric Hergenreder has been meticulously documenting abandoned buildings in Detroit before they vanish, a task that has taken on a new urgency as the city accelerates its demolition of these structures. Outlier Media has the story here.

🌲 $12M fund boosts restoration of Hawaiian forests: A $12 million grant for American Forests, a non-profit conservation group, will help 10 tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations restore forests damaged by disasters like wildfire and disease. AsAmNews has the story here.

👏🏽 Outlier Media hires new enterprise editor

URL Media partner Outlier Media is continuing its mission of bringing even more accountability reporting to the people of Detroit. In service of this goal, veteran reporter Sarah Hulett will join the newsroom next month as enterprise editor. Read more here.

Sara Lomax-Reese, CEO of WURD Radio, media entrepreneur for almost 30 years, served as Program Lead for the inaugural Facebook BIPOC Sustainability Accelerator and is a former John S. Knight Fellow.

S. Mitra Kalita, former SVP at CNN Digital, current CEO & Publisher at Kalita Mukul Creative Inc., which publishes Epicenter-NYC, The Unmuted and The Escape Home has worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The LA Times, and has launched brands like Mint and Quartz.

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