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Friday, April 7, 2023
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Today is Friday, and we're highlighting stories from across the URL Media network about the charges filed against former President Donald Trump, the story of an asylum seeker who escaped North Korea, and finding therapy behind bars.Be sure to keep an eye on your inbox tomorrow for a special Saturday edition of feel good stories from across the network.
— Alicia RamirezUplift. 🙌🏼 Respect. 💯 Love. 💛
Uplifting our Communities
Trump indicted: Temple University journalism professor Linn Washington Jr. joined Solomon Jones to discuss this week’s arraignment of former President Donald Trump. Listen to the full interview from WURD Radio here.More: 5 things to know about Donald Trump's felony charges+: ‘Reality check’ on health: A farewell from Charles Ellison
In Trump’s arrest, a message for sh*tty people all around: “In the court of public opinion at least, [Trump’s] arrest by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg proves that open season on people of color is coming to an end,” The Haitian Times writes. Read the full editorial here.
In New York City, legal cannabis peacefully coexists with street sales: Behind the counter of her brightly lit storefront, Extasy James puts final touches on the product display before opening the doors of Good Grades in Jamaica, Queens. Across the street, Marlin sells weed — an illegal activity that has gotten him busted by police at least four times. Read more here from Epicenter-NYC.More: Everything you need to know about the Trump Charges
Hamline University President Fayneese Miller defends leadership, criticizes media in a speech announcing her retirement: In 2015, Fayneese Miller became the first Black president in the 169-year-old Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. And on Monday, while announcing her retirement, she described a grueling tenure spent away from her family and pushed back against the media’s reporting about a recent controversy at the university. Sahan Journal has the story here.ICYMI: Hamline’s Muslim students return to campus with plea for understanding
Winona LaDuke steps down as leader of Honor the Earth after sexual harassment lawsuit: Amid fallout from a sexual harassment lawsuit, environmental nonprofit Honor the Earth announced Wednesday that its co-founder — internationally-known activist and author Winona LaDuke — would step down from her position as co-executive director sooner than expected. Native News Online has the full story here.
100 months without justice: More than eight years after the disappearance of 43 students from Ayotzinapa, Mexico, there are still half-truths and pending justice, as the country's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is unable to overcome what remains from the country’s antiquated political system. Read more here from palabra.
She escaped North Korea and now ICE is trying to deport her: Usim has built connections in New York, works a steady job and is learning English. She has no criminal record or contact with the criminal justice system, and has escaped forms of persecution and abuse in three countries. However, because the asylum seeker entered the country unlawfully through the U.S.-Mexico border, ICE has the authority to deport her back to South Korea where her family lives. Documented has the full story here.
Around the world: The latest in geopolitics from Ukraine to China to Nigeria: Guest host Hagar Chemali, foreign policy expert and creator and host of the YouTube show “Oh My World!” looks closely at the latest in international policy from the conflict in Ukraine to the U.S.-China relations, and the recent election in Nigeria. Listen to the latest Our Body Politic episode here.
Why the only person who voted ‘no’ on District Detroit rejected the plan for her neighborhood: Barbrie Logan was a consistent voice of dissent during the District Detroit community benefits process. As a member of the Neighborhood Advisory Council, she ultimately voted against the agreement because she felt her questions had not been adequately answered. Outlier Media has the story here.
The CAREN Act is calling for an end to racially-motivated police calls: San Francisco, New York and New Jersey have passed laws to prevent racially-motivated calls to police. Now, the NAACP and a Black couple who have been harassed by their neighbors are calling on Colorado to do the same. Read more here from PushBlack.
Your reputation can either open or close doors: The ‘Candid Camera’ story: When Eastern Airlines Flight 7 was hijacked by a pair of men intent on diverting the aircraft to Cuba, many on the flight thought it was a joke because Allen Funt, host of the popular television show “Candid Camera,” was spotted on the plane. But the hijacking was far from a practical joke. La Noticia has the story here.
Respecting & Honoring Arts & Culture
At the impasse of revolution and revolutionary love: Moving intellectualism from the academic factory into communal struggle, a new Scalawag roundtable seeks to examine, engage and interrogate writer Joy James’s subversive attempt to reclaim revolutionary struggle from academics — and deliver it back to communities.
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Whispers to God: Islam and mental health: This week’s episode of Immigrantly explores the intersection of Islam and mental health. With Ramadan (the month of fasting for Muslims) underway, host Saadia Khan finds herself drawn to the deeper meaning of fasting and how it can fuel her spiritual connection. Listen to the full podcast here.
Centering Love
Lost and found: Finding therapy behind bars: “In the 10-plus years I’ve been incarcerated, I’ve never voluntarily seen the inside of the mental health building,” writes Cleveland native and poet Olethus Hill Jr. “It wasn’t because I didn’t have reasons to. I just always seemed to fight my way through whatever mental hurdles I was dealing with at the time.” Read more here from Prism.
What We're Loving This Week From Our Partners
Learning to advocate for yourself and others when dealing with healthcare professionals: According to a survey of 3,325 Black Californians, more than a quarter reported avoiding care due to concerns that they would not be treated fairly or with respect. But there are steps Black people can take to better advocate for themselves in healthcare settings. Read more here from Black Voice News.
The URLs on URL
Dr. Carolyn Sue Thomas Chappell, former managing editor of The Oklahoma Eagle, passes away at 71
Carolyn Chappell will be remembered as a hometown hero who touched the lives of many through her work in education, real estate and the nonprofit sector, The Oklahoma Eagle writes. Her dedication, generosity and passion for helping others will continue to inspire and impact countless lives for years to come. Read more about her incredible legacy here.
URL Media Events
Disrupting Adoption Narratives: Adoptees for Reproductive Justice
“Time and time again, the solution offered to anti-abortion efforts is adoption, yet we fail to center adoptees whose lived experiences and areas of expertise touch every injustice and systemic problem our movements face,” writes Prism.URL Media partner Prism will be hosting a live, virtual event at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET April 11 to discuss how adoption justice is reproductive justice. Register here to attend.
Our Founders
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 currently a JSK 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.
Our Partners
