The American Press Institute’s second Inclusion Index cohort members attended their first community listening session in December to get acclimated with the process of organizing one before conducting their own. Community listening is a crucial tenet…

Creating Our Own · Episode

The American Press Institute convened its second Inclusion Index cohort in Pittsburgh in late October to begin their in-person training in collaboration with Modifier, powered by Resolve Philly. The five news organizations present — PublicSource,…

Following API’s work in Pittsburgh with the Inclusion Index cohort, we connected with others in the DEIB space in media whose work aligns with our goals, as we can’t advocate for change alone. One of those conversations was with Danielle K. Brown,…

Community listening is an integral part of API’s Inclusion Index program, and the Pittsburgh newsrooms participating in the program conducted listening sessions with local community members following the Index assessment of each newsroom and training…

In our kickoff of the Inside the Inclusion Index series last week, we gave you an overview of how your newsroom benefits from building a sustainable DEIB plan, and resources on where you can begin to take action — starting with the Inclusion Index…

Four newsrooms in Pittsburgh openly acknowledged their struggles to serve communities of color and dedicated themselves to concrete changes related to diversity and inclusion following a near-year-long project with the American Press Institute. API’s…

Opener “Talk” is a bright boom-bap love song on which Raekwon layers straightforward, melodic phrases on piano and a gritty electric bass and guitar beneath introspective lyrics. The perspective shifts on “Honey,” a “temperature check” between…

After discovering Spell 31, Ibeyi knocked out “Made of Gold,” which features the Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu, on their second day in the studio. The lyrics focus on connecting with ancestral power from within. “The day we started ‘Made of Gold’…

The short but many stints of Caribbean rain paid frequent visits to Afro Nation Puerto Rico, held at Balneario de Carolina Beach in San Juan, from 24 to 26 March. That didn't stop festival-goers from roaring Yemi Alade's name with vim and energy so…

An intimate gathering in Brooklyn on a frigid November night presented an escape into singer-songwriter Mary Akpa's sonic world of her latest album, Nnoo — a multi-platform experience exploring the themes of Black and immigrant identity, self-love,…

Venus and Serena Williams joined Will Smith at his takeover of Red Table Talk in anticipation of King Richard, which lands in theaters this Friday (Nov. 19). In this eye-opening conversation, you’ll learn the foundational lessons the tennis legends’…

Summer Walker’s sophomore album, Still Over It, is an honest, rallying cry for us to learn from her mistakes when navigating relationships. The R&B singer-songwriter leans into her strength and taps into her self-awareness and discernment, while…

Pat yourself on the back. Give yourself all the props—because you deserve. You’ve surpassed all expectations—given the world’s current, uncertain circumstances—and have used each day to show up for yourself, for your friends, and for your community.…

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Photographers: Walik Goshorn, Antoine DeBrill and Valerie Magan Saturday marked the start of the 43rd annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival at the newly renamed Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, featuring…

Mary J. Blige has always been about championing and uplifting the underdog. In the midst of getting us hooked to her role in Power: Book Two, stacking lead roles in a myriad of upcoming films, and executive producing her documentary telling the…

Mr Eazi is one of the few multi-hyphenate artists in contemporary African music who’s been able to draw from his experience living in both Ghana and Nigeria, infusing each respective culture and vibe into his music, his businesses, and his…

We’ve almost cleared three full months into the new year, yet we’ve hardly given ourselves a moment to process how defiant 2020 was for so many. There were upsides, however, that appeared to be by chance given the year’s uncertainty and perpetual bad…

Hailing from Surulere, a suburb in Lagos, Nigeria, the multifaceted singer Simi was well on her way to becoming a pop star since she was a child. However, before making her way into mainstream music, Simi began with a career in gospel music, which…

The newest film from director Ekwa Msangi is a striking depiction of the nuanced and complex Black immigrant experience that’s been long overdue to appear on the big screen. Farewell Amor, Msangi’s debut feature, follows Walter (The Chi‘s Ntare Guma…