URL Weekly 4/28

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Friday, April 28, 2023

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Today is Friday, and we're highlighting stories from across the URL Media network about the trouble asylum seekers are having finding legal representation, women and transgender athletes in sports and the history behind the term “woke.”

Be sure to keep an eye on your inbox tomorrow for reporting from across the network about the ongoing crisis of gun violence affecting American youth.

— Alicia Ramirez

Uplift. 🙌🏼 Respect. 💯 Love. 💛

Fires at two south Minneapolis mosques investigated as potential hate crimes: This week, local and federal authorities are investigating fires at two south Minneapolis mosques  as potential hate crimes. In a prepared statement, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said it’s unknown whether the fires are due to arson  or other causes. Read more here from Sahan Journal.

Haitian government slammed for inaction after 30 villagers killed: Human rights organizations are denouncing the Haitian government’s silence after yet another massacre. The Haitian Times has the story here.

Indian boarding school survivor recalls horrifying detail of Native children’s abuse: Hundreds of Native Americans attended last Sunday’s Road to Healing event on the Tulalip Indian Reservation an hour north of downtown Seattle. Many shared stories of abuse experienced by Native American students while attending Indian boarding schools. Native News Online has the story here.Content warning: This story includes testimony from survivors that might be unsuitable for some readers.

Migrants struggle to find lawyers to meet one year deadline to file for asylum: Many who arrived in New York last spring on buses from the border told Documented that they have struggled to find lawyers to help file their claims with immigration courts. The pro bono system is overburdened and few can afford a private lawyer, they report. Read more here.

Women and transgender athletes in sports: More than 50 years after Title IX, we take a wider look at the treatment and coverage of female and transgender athletes. At the close of a dramatic NCAA women’s championship, Natasha Alford, senior correspondent at The Grio, talks about Black women athletes, college sports and sports journalism on Our Body Politic. Listen to the full episode here.

Meet the agent who negotiated an NFL player’s record-breaking contract: Nicole Lynn made headlines in 2015, 2019 and 2021, and again this year when she negotiated a reportedly five-year, $255 million contract extension for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Read more here from The Oklahoma Eagle.

Amid the country’s censorship war, we revisit the origins of ‘woke’: In 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the “Stop WOKE” Act, but where exactly did the term “woke” come from? According to PushBlack, the term has been around since at least 1923 when Marcus Garvey wrote, “Wake up Africa!” urging the Black diaspora to be more aware of its social and political reality. Read more here.

What are the secrets of the happiest countries in the world?: This year’s World Happiness Report evaluated the average quality of life during COVID-19. It ranked Finland, Denmark and Iceland as the happiest countries in the world, but that begs the question. What makes one country happier than another? Read more here from La Noticia.

Why Detroit banks are reluctant to issue small business loans: A former bank branch manager turned loan officer tells Outlier Media that banks aren’t designed to offer entrepreneurs the capital, credit and training they need. Read more here.

Night Court: new(ish) sitcom, same copaganda: “Night court is bleak, but you may not know it from the recently revived NBC sitcom of the same name, which is rife with laugh tracks,” Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg writes in this piece for Scalawag in collaboration with The Appeal. 

Read the full essay here

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Figure skating, podcasts and America after 9/11: Host Saadia Khan welcomes Asad Butt, her friend and co-host of their joint podcast Invisible Hate, for the latest episode of Immigrantly. The pair talk about the challenges and opportunities of broadcast journalism and the impact of post-9/11 America on the Muslim community. Listen to the full conversation here.

Reflections on the state of the Black World Conference: Dr. Ron Daniels joined Evening WURDs with Nick Taliaferio to talk about the State of the Black World Conference held in Baltimore last weekend. Listen to the full interview here.

Local assemblymember remembers activist, entertainer and humanitarian Harry Belafonte: A pioneering actor, singer, activist and humanitarian, Harry Belafonte left behind a legacy for generations to follow. California State Assembly Member Corey Jackson recalls the first time he met Belafonte and received his words of wisdom, which he says he’ll never forget. Black Voice News has more here.More: WURD Radio honors the legacy of Harry Belafonte. Listen to the segments here.

From the hearts of migrant youth, ‘We need care’: When young people arrive in the U.S. they often owe thousands of dollars to pay for their border crossing. And they often end up working long hours in factories or restaurants while also going to school. The recent crackdown on companies with child labor in their supply chains is a step forward, but beyond being protected as workers, migrants need to be protected as human beings. Read more here from palabra. in collaboration with Reckon.

NYC mentoring event “Passion in Action” empowers students: The Queens World Film Festival hosted Passion in Action on April 22, a day-long mentoring event bringing together high school and college students with professionals from various sectors. Epicenter-NYC has the story here.

Documented nominated for Deadline Club Award

Documented has been nominated for its coverage of New York City’s migration crisis following the rapid increase of migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to New York during the summer of 2022. Read more about their nomination here.More: Documented is now accepting applications for the Isaac Rauch Fellowship. Read more about the fellowship here.

Sahan Journal is seeking a development manager

Sahan Journal is seeking a development manager who can support the growth of the organization’s individual giving and institutional support programs while encouraging higher levels of philanthropic support. Read the full job description here.

Prism is on pause

Prism is taking its annual pause from April 24 through April 28 and will not be publishing any new reporting this week. “Rest is an essential practice—one that gives us space to breathe, to dream, and to heal. At Prism, rest is also a regular practice integral to our newsroom and the organization’s culture,” writes Editor-in-Chief Ashton Lattimore. Read more here.

Muslim Americans in the Media: From Islamophobia to Power

Is our collective understanding of Muslim Americans changing? In this month’s “Meet the BIPOC Press,” URL Media co-founder Mitra Kalita co-hosts a roundtable discussion about Muslim Americans who cover their communities, and the impact it has on news coverage. Tune in to the discussion on the Laura Flanders Show, which airs this Sunday, April 30 at 11:30 am ET on YouTube and your local PBS television station.

Let’s Talk Careers: The What’s Next Workshop

Join URL Media TODAY for the fourth installation of our webinar for folks who have recently been laid off or are at a career crossroads. Breakout sessions will include how to prepare for job interviews and informational conversations with URL Media Chief Business Development and Partnerships Officer Leonor Ayala Polley, why networking is now more important than your resume and how to build your network with career and leadership coach Phoebe Gavin and how to maximize your LinkedIn. 

Register for the webinar here

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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.