Who's Repping Your City? Storytellers Sharing Chicago’s Positive Black Narratives
Chicago has a brand superpower, and its source is within the Black community.
At our agency, we believe all personal and business brands across the globe have superpowers that should be identified and leveraged, but Chicago holds a special place in our hearts. Many of our current and past team members are either from the city or call it home.
As a matter of fact, Lindrea Reynolds, our founder, and Chief Brand Strategist is a black woman who hails from the southside of Chicago. She’s a first-generation college student and entrepreneur who believes that the city is a brand in and of itself, with a rich Black History at the root of its enterprising identity. We tend to agree!
Unfortunately, Chicago’s brand reputation in the media has been boxed in for years by negative news headlines. The focus on crime and violence in Black communities overshadows the incredible creativity, innovation, and leadership that has been and still is fostered here. In particular, the negative portrayal of Black men in news and entertainment media has been shown to affect their real-life outcomes – and not for the better.
We think it’s about time to shift that narrative and help others to see what we see every day! As we close out Black History Month, we’d like to highlight a few of our favorite organizations that are leveraging Chicago’s superpower by sharing empowering, positive Black stories year-round.
Midway Broadcasting Corporation, WVON 1690 AM
Founded by Wesley South and Pervis Spann more than 50 years ago, WVON 1690 AM is the first and oldest Black-owned radio station in Chicago. This iconic media source has had a lasting influence in Chicago by accurately sharing the black experience and giving the community a voice!
Melody Spann Cooper, daughter of Pervis Spann, has been the Chairwoman of Midway Broadcasting since 1999. This CEO, civic leader, author, and all-around business influencer says about the station, "We're not selling radio, we're selling community.”
WVON 1690 AM is known for hosting and interviewing influential Black figures, amplifying the voices of up-and-coming black business leaders, and developing educational and inspiring community experiences that enrich black lives and celebrate black excellence.
Learn more about WVON here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/wvon1690
https://wvon.com/
Public Narrative
Through the power of exceptional journalism and non-profit work, Public Narrative focuses on amplifying neighborhood voices, challenging public opinion, and connecting the community with the media.
This organization’s work allows room for positive and hopeful stories to rise above the steady stream of negative news associated with Chicago. Recently, Public Narrative also teamed up with A Picture’s Worth, another noteworthy, story-telling non-profit focused on community change, to create a podcast called “Our Stories, Our World” — a series revolving around public safety, health and education, led by Chicago’s youth.
Jhimra Alexander, who has been leading Public Narrative since 2018, says:
“Chicago’s Black youth are brilliant! They need opportunities to exhibit their brilliance. Without opportunities to cultivate their potential violence ensues, lives are cut short and the city is robbed of their promise. If Chicago is robbed of its Black youth voice, how might its own narrative ever truly reflect that of an equitable and just city?”
Learn about some of their eye-opening work here:
https://publicnarrative.org/blog/
Block Club Chicago
Block Club Chicago, aptly named after the neighborhood groups dedicated to uplifting our community, is a nonprofit ground-level news organization on a mission to amplify positive stories from diverse neighborhoods.
This free online media source has over 110,000 newsletter subscribers and has published more than 14,000 stories about the real, positive change happening in Chicago’s most vilified neighborhoods. They have become known not only for trustworthy storytelling but building relationships and having hands-on involvement in the communities they cover.
Speaking about their community-led work, co-founder Jen Sabella says,
“Some of us have internalized the national media’s narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make the city a better place for all.”
Learn more about their mission in this video: https://youtu.be/5yz9OuYUZxs
WTTW, Chicago Tonight, Black Voices
WTTW launched the news series Chicago Tonight: Black Voices in 2020 with the intention of focusing on the Black community (especially the South and West sides) in a less negative way.
Brandis Friedman, at the forefront of the show, says the hope is that any and everyone can watch the series and “have a feel for what the Black experience in Chicago is like.” The series very deliberately highlights art, entrepreneurship, and everyday life in the Black community alongside important issues like equity and justice!
Learn more about this series here:
https://schedule.wttw.com/series/31353/Chicago-Tonight-Black-Voices/
Celebrate Positive Black Stories Every Day in Your City
Black History isn’t about hardship at every turn. It’s about the culture-changing art, the exceptional leadership, and the groundbreaking innovation that the Black community has contributed to the world!
So how will you honor Black History in your city going forward? Here’s how you can do so all year-round:
Search for the game-changers and storytellers who are shining a light on positive black stories.
Get involved! Tune into their broadcasts, reshare their narratives, or consider donating to causes that support their efforts.
In short, celebrate Black History by elevating positive Black stories every day, and supporting those who already do! There’s no time like the present — why not start now?