Around 3 years ago the LPC did a deep dive into assessing the information ecosystem of California’s Central Valley. As part of that effort, local media maker Sergio Cortes pitched supporting his new civic media outlet uSpark to fill information gaps in the region. Sergio was kind enough to join us for a Q and A about his journey looking for sustainability.
60 percent of New Orleans residents are, like me, black, and yet the power structures that surround black residents, from cultural events like Mardi Gras, to my university, to local industries like oil, where my parents work, are predominantly White institutions (PWI). Yes, PWIs have made some adjustments in recent years, but, as I move around my city I’m still constantly coming and going from spaces that I have to work to carve out an equitable space in and to explain why I belong. I’m tired of being in the majority in my city but treated as a minority when it comes to my future and ambitions. I’m trying to decide if I’ll stay in New Orleans when I graduate in a year, and whether or not this city can be a place that values my voice and lets me create my own narrative.
In line with the Listening Post Collective’s values of meeting people where they’re at and creating equitable spaces for people to get and share information, we wanted to share examples from our work, and outline ways to make social media a healthy and effective news and information space.
As part of the 100th anniversary of a Supreme Court ruling that banned South Asians from being US citizens, we wanted to share a story from our LPC collaborator SAADA’s archives that deserves to be absorbed by all Americans.