Public Art Installation Brings Black Journalists, Creatives and the Chicago Community Together to Re-envision the Future of Media
Chicago, IL — As the 2024 election approaches, conversations on identity are intensifying—and to a group of Black advocates, that discourse is increasingly regressive.
Step into the Black Future Newsstand, an immersive public art exhibit that highlights the role of media in both suppressing and advancing justice for Black communities. The exhibit will premier with an all-day community celebration on Friday, October 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Gallery Guichard, 436 E. 47th Street, Chicago, IL 60653. This event will feature a groundbreaking panel discussion, live music and an interactive virtual tour showcasing the historical media and stories of Black activism in Southside Chicago.
Presented in collaboration with MediaJustice and the Media 2070 Project, the exhibit will showcase Black-owned magazines, art and newspapers alongside coverage of Chicago’s political movements of the ‘70s and ‘80s, including Collins-Dexter’s family archives.
“If democracy is in danger, our media and technology system is ground zero for the issue,” said Brandi Collins-Dexter, Organizer, MediaJustice Fellow and former Schuster Media and Technology Fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. Collins-Dexter’s 2022 book Black Skinhead topped numerous recommended reading lists while delving into the realities of Black political disaffection.
The custom-built Black Future Newsstand installation and surrounding exhibit space will immerse visitors in a space guided by the following questions: “What kind of media and technology system is worth fighting for? What does a media that loves Black people look like in a future where reparations are real?”
“Viral moments—like jokes about ‘Black jobs’—are humorous on the surface, but also expose a shared understanding that powerful politicians and media companies have built their entire audiences on perpetuating harmful stereotypes of our communities,” said Collins-Dexter.
“There’s a long history of media harm and Chicago communities are among the most frequently targeted,” said Media 2070 Director Tia Oso. “After George Floyd’s murder, we saw outlets like The Los Angeles Times and National Geographic apologizing for their histories of anti-Black and anti-Indigenous coverage. But real steps toward redress are still missing.”
Eteng Ettah, Narrative and Communications Director at MediaJustice, added: “This season shows us it’s past time to reinvent our media and technology system, to create a future filled with safety and justice for Black communities, including the workers and truth-tellers within our information ecosystem.”
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The Black Future Newsstand Project is presented by Media 2070 (a project of Free Press), MediaJustice, Revival Lab and Black River Life, made possible with the support of Race Forward. This activation is part of Race Forward’s nationwide Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy.
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