URL Weekly 11/24

Next-level reporting. Innovative Black & Brown publishers.

Friday, November 24, 2023

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Today is Friday, and we’re highlighting stories from across the URL Media network about a man freed after 31 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, the push to save the Indigenous languages of Yavapai-Apache, and the real harms caused by the lies of “true crime” shows.

In tomorrow’s newsletter, we’ll be looking at a handful of stories that highlight the resiliency of the human spirit. — Alicia Ramirez

Uplift. 🙌🏼 Respect. 💯 Love. 💛

🇵🇸 ‘You cannot have 10,000 dead Palestinians and not say anything’: Israel’s current war on Gaza is part of a broader history of violence against Palestinians — a history Mariam has taught her children who are part Palestinian and part Jewish. Mariam recently spoke with Prism about her family’s history, the wave of international support for Palestine, and why parents cannot ignore the thousands of Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli forces. Read her story here.

👨🏽‍🏫 What should students learn in social studies classes? Here’s what the youth want: Minnesotans have spent the last three years arguing about what students should be taught in social studies classes. Over two days of public hearings, students were finally able to tell a judge what was important to them: learning the whole truth about history. Sahan Journal has more here.

🤧 Health officials warn of uptick in Covid-19, flu, and RSV: With the holidays approaching and temperatures beginning to drop, health officials continue to monitor seasonal respiratory viruses — with increases in Covid, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) expected in the coming weeks. Black Voice News has more here.

⛓ Okla. man recounts serving 31 years in prison after wrongful conviction: In 1987, Perry Lott was arrested after being accused of rape by a woman who identified him as the assailant from a lineup. Lott was subsequently tried, convicted and given a 100-year prison sentence. But in 2014, DNA evidence showed he was not the one who committed the crime. The Oklahoma Eagle has his story here.

CW: This article mentions sexual violence.

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.

✊🏽 ‘Immigrants are not the enemy’: Some prominent Republican presidential candidates have taken a similar anti-immigrant stance as previous presidential hopefuls and former President Donald Trump did, with some calling for mass deportations and even discussing amending the constitution to eliminate birthright citizenship. La Noticia has the story here.

More: There are many people besides migrants to blame for city budget cuts (Epicenter-NYC)

📺 A look at “Snapped” from the inside: Elena Kiejliches, a Russian immigrant, was convicted for the murder of her husband, Boris Kiejliches, in 2002. Elena maintains that she did not kill Boris, but the story of what is widely believed to have happened has been featured on television shows, in podcasts and was even included in a book. “What's true in true crime, is that somebody's dead,” Elena says. “That’s the only truth.” Scalawag has the story here.

❄️ Detroit opened its first warming center in the 1980s. It’s the temporary fix that never went away: Detroit opened its first warming center in the 1980s after a 1985 New Year’s Eve ice storm left more than 400,000 homes and businesses without power and was blamed for multiple deaths. What started as a temporary fix to keep folks safe at the time continues to be a way to shelter the city’s unhoused population rather than providing people with permanent housing. Outlier Media has the story here.

🚌 Cedric Harrison is preserving Black history through historical bus tours: In Wilmington, North Carolina, Cedric Harrison, a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., stands as a beacon of empowerment and historical preservation. Through his initiatives, Support the Port and wilmingtoNColor, Harrison has become a driving force for economic growth and advancement within the African American community in his hometown. Watch The Yard has his story here.

🗣 Revitalizing the Yavapai-Apache languages: For the first time in nearly 30 years, efforts to save the Yavapai-Apache languages are underway with the launch of online dictionaries and picture books featuring Dilzhe’e (Apache) and Wipukpa-Tolkapaya (Yavapai) languages. Native News Online has more here.

🦃 How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?: The Immigrantly team talks about what Thanksgiving looks like in their homes while grappling with the holiday’s dark history and the current political climate. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here.

🎙 URL Media welcomes a trio of podcasts to the network

URL Media is excited to welcome three podcasts from award-winning LWC Studios to our network: Latina to Latina, How to Talk to [High Achievers] about Anything, and How to Talk to [Mamí and Papí] about Anything. In 2020, LWC Studios received a Peabody Award nomination, earned recognition in the audio documentary category at the New York International Radio Festival, and won a Third Coast Award “Director’s Prize.” Read more here.

💻 Epicenter-NYC is hiring an editorial director

URL Media partner Epicenter-NYC is looking for a leader to help set its news agenda and innovate new ways of connecting news and information to New Yorkers. The editorial director will lead the editorial team in providing accessible and actionable information to communities around New York City and curating stories in multiple formats, highlighting the fabric of its diverse neighborhoods. 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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