URL Weekly 11/3

Next-level reporting. Innovative Black & Brown publishers.

Friday, November 3, 2023

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Today is Friday, and we’re highlighting stories from across the URL Media network about a New Yorker who reflects on the time he rejected the status quo at 15, a Kansas city that pays immigrant workers to relocate there, and a historically Black sorority’s expansion to Japan.

Halloween might be over, but we’re still celebrating spooky season over here. Be on the lookout for tomorrow’s newsletter about Horror Noire. — Alicia Ramirez

Uplift. 🙌🏼 Respect. 💯 Love. 💛

🇵🇸 College students face backlash while voicing support for Palestine: Many college students who have stood in solidarity with Palestinians say they have been doxxed, demonized, targeted, fired, and had their advocacy interpreted as support for terrorism. Prism has the story here.

Plus: Stay plugged into our network’s ongoing coverage of the crisis here.

🗞 Brooklyn teen pushes boundaries to build a longstanding publication: When Kevin Benoit was 15, he found himself fighting the status quo in his high school, paving the path to what is now a 20-year-old publication. Epicenter-NYC has his story here.

✊🏽 How November came to be Native American Heritage Month: November is Native American Heritage Month — a month used to spread awareness of Indigenous history, contemporary Native issues and highlight Indigenous peoples who enrich American society. But did you know the month-long celebration is the culmination of a centuries-long effort? Native News Online has the story here.

🪖 Navigating the military-immigration landscape: Dr. Sofya Aptekar joins Immigrantly to talk about her latest book, “Green Card Soldier,” which unravels the complexities within the U.S. military system, shedding light on a world often shrouded in mystery. 🎧 Listen to the full episode 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.

💵 This Kansas city is paying immigrant workers to move there: Even though we live in a time of ultra-conservative politics that often dehumanizes immigrants, the reality is some places like Topeka, Kansas desperately need workers. The city recently began offering economic incentives to attract new residents. La Noticia has the story here.

🏀 How Earvin Johnson became ‘Magic’: From Johnson’s great-grandmother who was enslaved on a North Carolina plantation to his rise as one of the most influential players in NBA history, sports biographer Roland Lazenby joined WURD Radio to discuss his new book, “MAGIC: The Life of Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson.” 🎧 Listen to the full interview here.

🚔 Calls for oversight of this Calif. sheriff’s department grow: A growing number of complaints against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and his deputies have prompted calls for oversight of the department, ranging from its excessive use of force to its failure to protect civilians. Black Voice News has more here.

🛣 Minn. highway plan draws ire of community: The Minnesota Department of Transportation is moving forward with a project likely to convert Highway 252 into a freeway with exit ramps. Residents of the diverse, environmental justice community say they don’t want that to happen. Sahan Journal has the story here.

🤷🏾‍♂️ NYC mayor has ‘no idea’ why his son was at an event with developers: NYC Mayor Eric Adams Tuesday said he was unaware that his son, Jordan Coleman, attended an event with Winnie Greco, Special Advisor to the Mayor and Director of Asian Affairs, and a prominent business leader connected to a major Chinatown development project. Documented has the story here.

⚽️ Haitian women’s team moves closer to Gold Cup: Haiti’s women’s soccer team remains undefeated in the 2024 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup after a resounding 13-0 victory over Saint Kitts and Nevis Monday. The Haitian Times has the story here.

🏯 Sigma Gamma Rho expands global presence: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, a historically African American sorority founded in 1922 at Butler University in Indianapolis, recently announced the formation of its latest chapter in Tokyo, Japan. Watch The Yard has the story here.

🚌 Get on the bus with the Detroit Documenters: Last year, Outlier Media’s Detroit Documenters (a program that trains and pays Detroiters to attend local public meetings) spent more than 40 hours riding the bus and interviewing commuters while taking notes and snapping pictures of their journeys. They’re doing it again this year to see what’s changed. Read more here.

📰 Sahan Journal founder and CEO stepping down

Five years after Mukhtar M. Ibrahim founded URL Media partner Sahan Journal, he says the time has come for him to step down from his role. Ibrahim says the organization is stronger than ever, with a secure financial footing, dedicated staff, a healthy organizational culture, and loyal readers. 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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