Amber Payne

Why are Democratic women wearing white to the State of the Union address? They're donning the color of women’s suffrage in part to draw attention to a sweeping new elections bill.

Democratic women lawmakers are again wearing white as a symbol of protest during this year’s State of the Union address.

Standing ovation. Literally.

The administration claims that it’s targeting DEI. It’s really chipping away at civil rights protections.
capitalbnews.org/trump-dei-at...

The Work You Do, the Person You Are The pleasure of being necessary to my parents was profound. I was not like the children in folktales: burdensome mouths to feed.

“You are not the work you do; you are the person you are.”

This essay from Toni Morrison really hits as I reflect on these last months, freelancing, contracting, consulting, juggling.

www.newyorker.com/magazine/201...

I founded #NBCBLK in 2015 & ran it for 3 years. It was crushing to see NBC eliminate the verticals and editors, all who served solid storytelling, hired unknown but talented writers, & provided a missing & nuanced lens to general news coverage. My take: @thewrap.com www.thewrap.com/nbc-news-div...

The judges: "Carr delivers a tour de force that traces an unbroken line from Freedom’s Journal in 1827 to today’s media crisis following the 2024 election." Last night I received notice that I'd won the 2025 American Society for Journalists and Authors Op-ed writing award. My winning piece was a call-to-action for journalists in troubling times.

(1/2) It's a great honor to win the 2025 American Society of Journalists and Authors Opinion/Op-Ed award for "The Black press democratized America," a @theemancipator.org
piece I wrote from Morehouse College in the days following the 2024 presidential election. open.substack.com/pub/nicolefc...

What a powerful experience to present w/ Robert Johnson at @medillschool.bsky.social Midwest Solutions Journalism Summer Summit. A far cry from the Hill Correctional Center interview room.

Thank you @debofficially.bsky.social + @amberpayne.bsky.social. And esp to Robert for sharing his survival.

Ms. Payne, quoting “the poignant and prophetic words of Audre Lorde:

“‘To refuse to participate in the shaping of our #future is to give it up. Do not be misled into passivity either by false security (they don’t mean me) or by despair (there’s nothing we can do). #Militancy no longer means…. ‘”

All the flowers for the wonderful @amberpayne.bsky.social, who played a central role in reviving an abolitionist newspaper and expanding how we think, talk about, and report on race in profound ways. 💐💐💐

A publisher’s final dispatch from a modern abolitionist newsroom Here’s what we’ve built over four transformative years and an update on The Emancipator’s next chapter.

Leading this team has been a transformative journey these last 4 years but it’s time to take what I’ve learned & do something new. My last day is 6/30. Grateful for this opportunity & my incredible colleagues for their support & dedication to this critical work.
theemancipator.org/2025/06/26/f...

“Elon Musk purchasing [Twitter] is an act of war.” — @meredithdclark.bsky.social
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Read the full interview here: theemancipator.org/2025/06/05/t...

What to eat in STL? Lemme know!

2025 Education Writers Association National Seminar EWA will hold its 2025 National Seminar in St. Louis, Missouri, May 28-31, 2025 for education reporters and education communicators.

Heading to St. Louis for @edwriters.bsky.social Seminar! I’ll be on a panel tmrw at 1:45p “How I Did the Story: School Segregation” - sharing how we put together a series on the 50th anniversary of the Boston busing ruling. ewa.org/events/upcom...

What can 1963 in America teach us about 2025 in America? How did a nation pivot so much closer (or further away) from true democracy and racial equity in only one year?

Justice Department rolls back police reform days before George Floyd anniversary The move is emblematic of the Trump administration’s retreat from policies that center equity for communities of color.

Some Black state attorneys general, including Letitia James of New York and Keith Ellison of Minnesota, vowed on Thursday they will ensure police are held accountable in their states. theemancipator.org/2025/05/21/s...

Days before the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, the Justice Department announced it is dismissing lawsuits against the Minneapolis and Louisville police departments.

Fact Check: Are White South African ‘refugees’ fleeing racial persecution? Afrikaners, a White minority who ruled South Africa with an oppressive grip, dispossessed the Black majority during the colonial era and apartheid.

Fact Check: Are White South African ‘refugees’ fleeing racial persecution?

(Answer: Nope)

theemancipator.org/2025/05/20/s...

In a precursor to the highly anticipated showdown over birthright citizenship, the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh whether lower court judges have the legal right to block President Donald Trump’s executive orders from going into effect.

Trump’s ‘baby bonus’ perpetuates racist and gendered notions about a woman’s worth It is a particularly painful insult to women like me who cannot bear children.

Blessed to have 2 little ones bt I recognize and respect that Mother’s Day can be a very painful or traumatic day for some women. Grateful to @chandelis.bsky.social for sharing her story of coming to terms with the difficult but life saving decision to undergo a hysterectomy in her early 30s.

Do better #UVA

“They’re trying to kidnap someone” On the scene of a brutal ICE arrest in Worcester, Massachusetts.

"The crowd chants 'Don’t take the mother!' over and over again as the daughter keeps trying to get back on the hood of the car. More Worcester cops arrive, all helping the ICE agents carry out their rotten senseless work." www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

“That is the most beautiful way I have seen someone honor the experiences of a young Black girl growing up.” — @whatmojoloves/TikTok Nike’s new campaign for A’ja Wilson’s sold-out signature shoe has s... TikTok video by The Emancipator

Nike’s campaign for A’ja Wilson’s signature shoe has sparked praise for its authentic Black storytelling. The films — featuring a reimagined childhood clapping game and a lyrical ode to Black girlhood — celebrate Wilson’s impact while centering Black cultural nuance.
www.tiktok.com/@the_emancip...

Black Dandyism doesn’t exist without the barbarous conditions responsible for its creation. Nor should it — especially in a predominantly White environment rife with individuals who routinely benefit from Black plight.

This year’s Met Gala was an opulent and exuberant exploration of Black style, and more specifically, Black Dandyism.

“The original Black Dandies — they weren’t dressing up for TikTok aesthetics or a Met Gala theme. They were using their style to reclaim power in spaces that told them that they had none.” — @ashley94.bsky.social

#BlackDandyism #MetGala

Trump’s immigration and tariff policies complicate disaster response ahead of hurricane season

🖊️By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Trump’s first 100 days in office yield chaos and consequences From misleading falsehoods about “woke” educational ideology to maneuvers to defer civil rights, The Emancipator fact-checked some of the more egregious claims.

The Trump administration has painted a picture that these first 100 days have been an unprecedented start to an era of peace and prosperity that will enhance the quality of life for all Americans.

This is far from the truth. ✍️ @chandelis.bsky.social

theemancipator.org/2025/04/29/s...

Colorado football breakout star Shedeur Sanders’ belated selection by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft is an example of the racialized double standard applied to Black athletes. 🖊️ @chandelis.bsky.social 🧵

'Sinners' and the beautiful struggle to belong and survive The film celebrates the unsung spirit and soul of Southern Black and Brown communities

“Sinners” stands in sharp contrast against the current Trump administration’s racist attempts to whitewash the historic and cultural contributions of Black and Brown people. The movie is a homily for all of us as modern-day keepers of memory.

theemancipator.org/2025/04/26/t...

University suspends nine gender, disability and ethnicity majors under new Ohio law The law, set to take effect this summer, bans diversity efforts and regulates classroom discussion.

Admission to Africana studies, Asian studies, data analytics, disability studies, Middle East studies, philosophy, religious studies, Spanish and women’s and gender studies programs has been suspended starting with the 2025-26 school year “in compliance with SB1."

19thnews.org/2025/04/univ...