A View from the Field: Celebrating Black Stories and Histories

We provide regular updates from the field as staffers work alongside our amazing allies and activists to create a just and equitable media system.

• The Media 2070 team — Diamond Hardiman, Anshantia Oso, Joseph Torres and Venneikia Williams — launched the fifth version of the Black Future Newsstand, a multimedia exhibition that made its debut in Harlem in 2023. Media 2070 is co-hosting Houston’s BFN with the Preserving Essential Cultural Archives & Narratives Project. At the center of the exhibit is a replica of a front porch. “It’s a place where stories can be told, where in the right circumstances, [people are] safe and have this space to thrive and nurture,” said Hardiman. Media 2070 premiered the exhibit at the AfroTech Conference, and on Oct. 31 Sanman Studios hosted BFN’s opening public event, which featured live performances and storytelling roundtables. An art gallery showcased the work of Houston artists who are exploring the commodification of Black Southern culture as well as issues around land and labor rights that Black communities face. Cultural workers read poems and short stories about reproductive rights and environmental justice. Additional programming will run through mid-November; learn more.
• Vanessa Maria Graber spoke during the opening plenary of the People Power Media Fest in Philadelphia. She explored how attacks on free speech are affecting journalists, content creators and the public — and discussed how public-access, community-media and independent platforms are safeguarding information and uplifting local voices. Her panel, “Speaking Truth, Building Power,” examined how to envision a media future that protects everyone’s freedom and promotes free expression.
• Julio Ricardo Varela was the keynote speaker at the MASBA School Board Members for Latino Equity conference in San Antonio, Texas. He tied his speech, “Envisioning the Future of the Latino/a Community,” to the current political moment.
• Julio and Sarah Stone went on a listening tour of Massachusetts to meet with local journalists and community leaders. They visited both traditional journalism outlets like the Black-owned Bay State Banner and nontraditional information hubs like El Buen Samaritano, a Worcester food pantry where community members can also get clothing, vaccinations, job information and guidance with navigating federal and state assistance programs. Learn more about the Massachusetts listening tour.
• Nora Benavidez spoke during the briefing “Rights Under Attack: DHS Violence Against Journalists, Observers, and Protesters,” which the American Constitution Society, the Center for Media and Democracy and Common Cause hosted. The event explored how ICE and the Department of Homeland Security more broadly have ramped up attacks on reporters, observers and peaceful protesters in recent months — with dire consequences for our democracy.