As the co-creators of the Media 2070 project at Free Press, we believe it’s critical for the philanthropic world to make the kind of historic intervention that Press Forward has committed to. But we simultaneously hold curiosity about how the coalition will directly address the continuous harm the journalism profession has inflicted on Black communities and other communities of color.

When I studied victimology, they didn’t tell us how victimization changes for Black victims – namely, for Black women. They also did not tell us just how difficult it was to not only be believed as a Black woman, but also that there was a higher likelihood of victimization as a Black woman. It is almost as if there are not enough statistics, not enough research, not enough attention paid to Black women.

Black pop culture has always had its inner secrets, invisible writings on the walls and hushed truths. But 2023 brought forth a true crack in the dam that left the Black community drowning in discourse, dissolution and, dare I say, desolation.