The new AfroLA is coming soon.
Update on Feb. 1 Launch
Since the beginning, AfroLA has been a work underpinned by love and community, and love of community. We’re a small, grassroots crew pushing for change in how newsrooms look, sound and present the lives of Black people and other communities of color. The rapid succession of mass shootings and fallout from horrific acts by police has resulted in the same kind of collective grief and shared trauma many others outside our group have experienced. But, tragedy like this feels different when our existence as an organization is so enmeshed in the community itself. It hit differently; it felt more personal.
As a leader, I’ve felt that it’s my job to help hold everyone else together, to support them when needed. But, grieving the loss of someone very close to me who passed away on Saturday, has made it too difficult for me to both support others and give myself the space I need to heal. For several days, the Feb. 1 launch stayed on schedule as planned because I wanted us to finish what we started. And, I personally wanted to finish to honor the memory of a man who so staunchly supported AfroLA from its inception.
But, now, I’m giving myself the grace to take a little more time to allow the day to day to become less painful, and to not settle for a less-good job because something “needs” to get published. For myself, and for AfroLA, I’m acknowledging the healthy boundary lines and the relationship that should exist between publishing quality content, prioritizing personal mental and physical well-being and supporting the community.
We’re ready to do great things for our community. But, we need to take a little more time to get it right on every level. Stay tuned for more details next week.
Thank you for supporting AfroLA, now and in the future.
–Dana Amihere, founder & executive director
We are (still) working hard on launching our new site.
Meanwhile, visit the current AfroLA.