GivingTuesday is a global day of generosity that will take place on November 30, 2021.
We all can remember the pride we felt when reading a Jet, Ebony or Essence magazine, more importantly the joy we felt when we saw someone we knew from the community featured in our local media outlets. These Black leaders, teachers, entertainers, artists, athletes and business owners shined light on the accomplishments of our community, they gave us hope, their stories made us feel Substantial.
A quick history lesson, did you know that in 1827 the Freedom’s Journal provided a space to share news about foreign and domestic issues that directly affected the black community? Here’s the amazing part, although most African Americans had very little funds, the publication was able to sustain itself from it’s subscribers who paid $3 a year to have access to the information that wasn’t always available in white publications.
For many black and brown families, then and now, those features inspired them and those stories informed them. Without these images and stories being published in black and brown publications, some will never know the true measure of their potential. Seeing positive and informative information about people that look like us is an important part of our personal and professional lives.
In 2021, there is still an extremely dire need for people to have access to accurate, impactful, and informative information that brings attention to issues relevant to their communities.
Our role as a media outlet, purveyors of social justice, leaders in our community, and unapologetic champions of the black and brown culture is to amplify our stories and put them front and center. Our goal has always been to show the world just how Substantial we are.
Although we’ve managed to reach tons of people with our stories, partnerships, and events, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We are ready to take our platform to an even higher level. Our Indisputable campaign is a vehicle that will allow us more visibility, more connections to reputable sources, and a chance to truly cement our place in telling the stories of our communities.
This #GivingTuesday we ask you to GIVE, whether it’s a dollar or $10,000 every ounce of your support is Substantial to us and we need it!
Grassroots generosity and community action are powerful forces for good, especially in turbulent times. Even in times of economic uncertainty, we each have a deep reserve of generosity, which we can deploy in myriad ways to make a difference–your time, your kindness, your skills, your voice are all things you can give in addition to charitable donations.