21 Black owned and produced Media outlets and content platforms you should be supporting in 2019
There has never been a better time in history, for black people of the African diaspora to not only tell our stories, but to take back control of those narratives, then now. We live in a world saturated with media publications who profit from false narratives including, those that publish sensationalized headlines used as “click bait of black men, women and children.
We’re often times, negatively portrayed in the media as ingrates, non-educated, criminals, with low self-esteem. These images are used to reinforce racial biases, untruths and myths that only depicts a small percentage of our race, as the “norm”. Our “greatest accomplishments” as a people, are only highlighted when it comes to both athletes and entertainers.
We are more than that!
Black people of the diaspora are uniquely made, multi-faceted, talented, skillful, innovative beings who have contributed greatly to the world for centuries. We call this “black excellence”, which should be embraced and celebrated, none the less.
Our culture, religious beliefs and traditions spans globally. While we are different, we do share more commonalities than we think. Sharing our stories helps bridge the gap across the diaspora, giving us a sense of belonging, pride, and inspiration. Here are 21 black owned media platforms that are leading the way in creating content surrounding the African diaspora.
Brothas and Sistas, if you like a good, intellectual, debate program that talks about relevant, current, issues within the African Diaspora, then The Grapevine T.V. is your cup of tea. This web talk show on YouTube was created by Ashley Akunna. Ashley is a University of Arts filmed graduate who originally wanted to become an actress. After watching media publications over the years and wondering “why is there no millennial perspective on the news”? She decided to launch her own program. The premise of the show is a round table of panelists who discuss a variety of topics. I love this aspect of the show because you hear various perspectives from different guests, from all over the globe which brings a new, fresh outlook on certain subjects.
What I love about The Black Detour is that I’m able to learn about various important black influential, historical leaders, and events that I haven’t learned in an educational setting, nor anywhere else. The media publication covers lifestyle, sports, and community. The Black Detour does an excellent job at “keeping their fingers to the pulse” on current news and events, while hosting open discussions, creating much needed and sometimes difficult dialogue, surrounding our community.
Founded by Morgan DeBaum, in July 2014, Debaum set out to bridge the gap between content and tech. She accomplished her goal in a short span, as Blavity has quickly become one of the largest digital media brands for black millennials. The idea came to Morgan while attending college at Washington University in St. Louis, a predominately white institution. Black students from all over the diaspora would gather on campus, known as “Black Gravity”, hence the name of the media company “Blavity”. Blavity serves as both a media company and content company, covering music, entertainment, politics, finance, and all things related to the tech industry.
The Fly Wire made its debut in 2004. Hailed as “Baltimore’s Urban Entertainment and Lifestyle Company”, the Fly Wire provides you with all things in entertainment, while also curating community related events that empowers entrepreneurs, creatives and organizations.
Afrotech is both a conference and content platform that connects founders, tech gurus and professionals with industry related news, and articles. The conference is a one of the largest, black tech events in the world. I truly believe that everyone should attend Afro Tech at least once in their lifetime, regardless if you work in startup or not. It’s a chance to see some of the brightest, innovative, minds under several roofs, sharing insights, and laughs, all the while being surrounded by your peers.
I’m a total “history geek”. I love learning about ancient civilizations, buildings, structures, cultures and traditions, so Carter Magazine was just the online publication I was looking for. Carter Magazine is an online publication for millennials that explores the historical connection between “old” and “new”. Covering untold stories, to urban news, and the evolving hip hop industry.
Black + Well is a wellness and lifestyle publication created to serve as a space for black representation in the wellness community. The platform covers areas of health, nutrition, mental wellness, fitness lifestyle and spirituality. The magazine aspires to encourage black people to intentionally strive towards living healthy emotional, spiritual and physical lives.
“Across the pond”, Black Ballad was founded by Bola Awoniyi and Tobi Oredein in 2014. Tobi Oredein grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of representation of black women in media so she created her own media company, Black Ballad with co-founder Bola Awoniyi. Black Ballad covers a wide range of topics from mental health, academia, beauty, career, politics, and dating. The company hasn’t stopped there, they’ve also incorporated a membership platform with the goal of creating conversations, content and events that empowers black women to live their best lives.