Essay
Media 2070 is a 100-page essay examining the history of anti-Black harm in the U.S. media system. From the critical role that trafficking of enslaved Africans played in making our nation’s earliest newspapers financially viable, to decades of targeting of Black press and journalists, the history of harm runs deep. This dynamic is then traced to the present day, when deregulation has resulted in very few Black owners of traditional media – while racist algorithms amplify the voices of white supremacists across online platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
As you explore the timelines, real-life stories and perspectives contained in Media 2070, we urge you to ponder the questions and prompts offered to spark dreaming of a reparative feature. Consider hosting a Reflection Circle, and carry these truths forward in your own work toward a just media and world.