URL Weekly 11/10

Next-level reporting. Innovative Black & Brown publishers.

Friday, November 10, 2023

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Today is Friday, and we’re highlighting stories from across the URL Media network about two history-making elections, the censoring of Palestinian Americans in Florida, and a California park that pays tribute to the Chicano Movement.

Be on the lookout for tomorrow’s newsletter where we look at a reported rise in harassment and hate crimes and highlight practical ways to stay safe and protect one another. — Alicia Ramirez

Uplift. 🙌🏼 Respect. 💯 Love. 💛

👏🏽 Nadia Mohamed makes history as first Somali mayor in Minn.: St. Louis Park voters elected Nadia Mohamed as the city’s first Black, first Somali, and first Muslim mayor Tuesday night. She is also the youngest person ever elected mayor in the city’s 170-year history. Sahan Journal has more here.

🗳 Philadelphia elects first Black woman mayor: Residents of Philadelphia this week made history by electing the city’s first Black woman mayor, Cherelle Parker. The morning after, Parker joined Wake Up With WURD to talk about her victory and vision for the city. 🎧 Listen to the full interview here.More: Philly just elected its first-ever woman mayor. She’s a soror of Delta Sigma Theta (Watch The Yard)

🇵🇸 Palestinian Americans in Fla. say they’re being censored: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a hardline pro-Israeli position, declaring a state of emergency in October amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. Last month, he chartered a private plane to bring back 270 Americans from Israel and banned Palestinian student groups from two college campuses in the state. Prism has more here.

More: There’s a surprising link between anti-Black policing in the U.S. and anti-Palestinian genocide. Read more here from PushBlack.

🎙 Comedy, crime and creative wonders: Writer and comedian Alex Estrada talks about his latest project — a podcast where he delves into the mysterious tale of his own father and a chilling murder case. 🎧 Listen to Immigrantly’s latest episode here.

🙏🏾 New Calif. law protects employees experiencing reproductive loss: Starting Jan. 1, 2024, California workers will be able to take up to five days off following a reproductive loss event without any job repercussions under Senate Bill 848. Black Voice News has more 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.

👨🏻‍⚖️ How poll workers, SCOTUS, and medical biases impact our democracy: Our Body Politic guest host Karen Grigsby Bates talks with Virginia Kase Solomón, CEO of the League of Women Voters, about the threats and issues poll workers face protecting democracy; Melissa Murray, NYU law professor, about some of the cases SCOTUS will hear this term; and Shirlene Obuobi, MD, on how to navigate medical bias. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here.

🕵🏽 FBI investigating NYC mayor’s top fundraiser: The connections between NYC Mayor Eric Adams and the East Broadway Mall was revealed when the home of Brianna Suggs, his top campaign fundraiser and former lobbyist for the mall’s previous operation, was raided by the FBI as part of a corruption investigation. Documented has more here.

🚨 Haitian police bans officers from wearing uniform tops: After several deadly incidents were reported involving imposters posing as members of the department, the Haitian National Police has banned all police officers assigned to the capital city from wearing uniform jerseys with the word “police” on them. The Haitian Times has more here.

🏠 Detroit Housing Commission stops making inspection reports public after recent failures: Earlier this year, Outlier Media documented appalling conditions at properties owned by Detroit’s largest affordable housing provider. The commission’s CEO promised improvement, but neither the organization nor the federal government have publicized the most recent inspections. Get the full story here.

🏫 Tulsa Public School Board member ready to call off superintendent search: A Tulsa School Board member is ready to call off the search for a new superintendent, stating he would like interim Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson to fill the role permanently. The Oklahoma Eagle has more here.

🪶 Native American statue unveiled in Calif.’s Capitol Park: Some 500 tribal leaders, citizens, students and elected leaders gathered in Sacramento on a cool Tuesday morning to witness the unveiling of the first-ever Capitol Park monument acknowledging California American Indian tribes. Native News Online has more here.

✊🏽 Chicano power: In many ways San Diego’s Chicano Park is like any other urban public space. On weekends, families enjoy the shaded picnic areas, playgrounds, basketball courts, and even a tricked-out skate park. But the park's history is anything but typical. palabra. has more here.

🏈 Meet the ‘King of NIL’: Right after the NCAA started allowing athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, Rayquan Smith, a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., decided that he was going to get in on the money. Now he has more than 85 deals under his belt. Watch The Yard has his story here.

🌟 URL Media welcomes Black Girl Times to the network

URL Media is thrilled to welcome Black Girl Times — a platform that provides thought-provoking stories and content for Black women, girls and the people who love them — as its twenty-first media partner. Read more here.

💡 Epicenter-NYC welcomes Suyin So

URL Media partner Epicenter-NYC is expanding its team with the addition of Suyin So as a senior advisor. So recently sat down with the outlet to talk about lessons in co-founding a school, what drew her towards community news and away from “big journalism,” and the importance of holding physical and figurative space in community with others. 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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