by Desmond King   As I lay on the ground, I look at this delicate rose placed by a lamp post. My foggy, ragged breath blurs my vision. My eyes, My mind hover over the rose. Who placed it there? Was it a grieving mother? Childless. Taken. Only a white rose for remembrance.  A flash […] The post Every Other Day Occurrence appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more

by Desmond King On Thursday I found myself with a bleeding tongue Warm water washed over my soapy hands, blood filling my mouth  I did not speak when he said “We’re almost there” My tongue is used to being bit open, to keep the peace To keep secrets  What does “Friday’s Eve” even mean? Constantly […] The post Almost There appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more

By Cai Thomas Trina Reynolds Tyler is a journalist and a data analyst who leads Beneath the Surface, an investigation into gender-based violence buried in police complaints in Chicago. Trina sifts through misconduct data to identify patterns of abuse that are misclassified, present findings to the public, and expand the discourse around police misconduct. Across […] The post Beneath the Surface appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more

by Miranda Goosby *An opinion piece on Black Life in Chicago, Summer ‘23 Wherever you go, there you are. Wherever we go, there we are. The cultural geography of Chicago is steeped in celebration this summer. Every weekend since Juneteenth on Chicago’s South Side I hear a symphony of sound: fireworks ricocheting, youthful screams as […] The post Struggle and Celebration appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more

by Benji Hart   1. I’m a teenager, attending the annual Kwanzaa celebration at Amherst College, the small private school where my dad is a professor. A modest band of Black students and faculty have gathered for dinner in the Octagon. The plaster building, lemon meringue in both color and texture, was reclaimed by students […] The post Three Ways to Love Black appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more

By Dr. Eve L. Ewing & Damon Young Black Life Everywhere: Chicago, launches with our conversation series spotlighting local cultural and political organizers. This is a prolific and timely discussion between Damon Williams and Dr. Eve Ewing. Listen in as they cover the nuances and celebration of Black Life in Chicago. The post Organizers In Conversation appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more

Local Perspectives We believe that those who are most impacted are experts of their experience and deserve a platform to tell their stories without censorship. We also host a series of place based events across the globe, with the goal of teaching, building and sustaining political participation centered in joy. Narrative Activism We believe narrative […] The post Black Life Everywhere Guiding Principles appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more

Black Life Everywhere Black Life Everywhere (BLE) works with creators to preserve and present nuanced representations that are expressive of Black life. We see music, film, animation, photography, poetry, interviews and writing as integral to how we communicate and tell stories. For us, these varying forms of expression are legitimate and necessary instruments to produce […] The post Black Life Everywhere appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more

For the second year in a row, Fix—Grist’s solutions lab—put out a call for short stories for their climate- fiction contest: Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Writers from across the globe activated their creativity and imaginations to offer visions of sustainability, justice, and hope. Dive into this story, The Metamorphosis of Marie Martin, […] The post The Metamorphosis of Marie Martin appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more

Nobody is checking for your Interracial Relationship by JeCorey Holder As another year washes over me in a haze of social instability and I spiritually prepare myself for the Saint Valentine’s Clearance Candy Harvest, the same thing inevitably happens. I notice an uptick of some of the most annoying interracial couples in the world aggressively […] The post Nobody is checking for your Interracial Relationship appeared first on The Black Youth Project ..read more