Black is Beautiful (2018) 8 - Claudia Jones

Claudia Jones was an activist, journalist, and organizer from Trinidad. She was born in 1915 and moved to the US at the age of 9. Upon moving to the US she faced the struggles of the great depression and racism in NYC, but she also benefitted from the Black cultural happenings of Harlem. She was a great writer and student who studied journalism and wrote a lot. She joined the Communist Party and quickly rose through the ranks as a writer, editor, then as a speaker and a rally organizer. She made so much noise in fact, they arrested her and deported her. She was surveilled and put on the FBI watch list as well. She was not allowed to return to Trinidad because of her great political knowledge and organizing power. So she was sent to the UK, where she also encountered racism. Even in the communist organizations there she was met with resistance. So, she saw the different caribbean peoples in the UK ( from former UK colonies) struggling and decided to start a newspaper called the West Indian Gazette in 1958. Blacks were migrating to the UK and being threatened, discriminated against, and in some cases killed. When riots started to break out and folks were struggling with how to organize she with leaders from several communities founded the Nottinghill Carnival. This still happens today and was credited with affirming Black beauty and bringing together people from Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago, St Martinique, Grenada, and so many more countries. She struggled with many illnesses and died of a heart attack in 1964. In addition to standing up for Black rights, she was anti-capitalist, anti nuclear war, and the rights of working and poor people to dismantle their oppressive governments.


Sources: Sons of Malcolm TV, AfricanHeritage.com, BlackAgendaReport.com

Jamilah King

Had the pleasure of working with journalist Jamilah King for the new year. She's an amazing journalist who has worked for Al Jazeera, Mic.com, The California Sunday Magazine, and now Mother Jones. Please support her and read more about her here at www.JamilahKing.com

Dig this? Check out this portrait of Moses Sumney

Inktober 14 - Lydia Cacho

Lydia Cacho is a journalist, writer, and activist born in Mexico in 1963. She became a journalist as a young woman and growing up she had parents who I believe encouraged her question things and to champion the rights of women. She began reporting on individual cases of violence against women.  Sexual assault, rape, and murder. This lead to discovering a much larger problem at hand and beginning to expose individuals and those in power who either condoned it, ignored it, or were complicit. Because of her reporting she herself was sexually assaulted. But kept going and helped found a center in Mexico for women who were the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

She kept investigating in her own country and later internationally. She was the first woman in Mexico's history to take a case implicating mayors, district attorney's, and other powerful people to trial. This charged that these folks were protecting this the sex trade, sexual tourism, child pornography, and violence against young women. And many were connected to trafficking in other parts of the world. She wrote about this in articles and eventually in books such as Slavery Inc-the untold story of international sex trafficking, Los Demonios de Eden, and many others.

Having been spent time all over the world investigating these instances of abuse, being attacked, threatened, jailed, and awarded several international journalism awards she has become a shining example of how journalists can uncover the truth. But they must be protected. Journalists who get too close or speak truth to power are being threatened and murdered constantly in Mexico and worldwide. Follow her work!

Sources: LydiaCacho.net, Gesprek Op 2,

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Inktober 9 - Janel Martinez

I relate to Janel a lot just hearing about the mix of cultures she grew up with and having to "explain" to people who you are w/o constantly getting asked "what are you"? For those that are not up on her work, she is a young Journalist out of the Boogie Down who works in culture, current events, tech, etc. She writes about her culture too making it more possible for other young brothers and sisters too identify with both their African and Latino roots and to be damn proud of it. The difficult part of this is not just explaining it to white people, it's breaking it down for Latinos and for African Americans and getting a better understanding of who "Afro-Latinos" are. Self love first. Check out the work she does with her business and blog "Ain't I Latina?" On the social media platforms and blogs she not only talks about her experiences but highlights those of other Afro-Latinas in the world; past and present. This is dope because it lets everyone know that folks have so many more dimensions and complexity to them. And it allows people to follow many more change makers and successful entrepreneurs. Right on Janel.

Want this original drawing? $60 or Print? $20 (includes shipping)  
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Inktober 8 - Arturo Schomburg

The way I first heard about Arturo Schomburg was from living in NYC. And I was 26/27 when I first moved to NYC. One of the reasons I think ethnic studies is so important in all schools at all levels is that both white and children of color are getting a fraction of their history. Imagine how many people still don't know about him, the center, or his work. This brother was Afro-Latino. What does that mean? He was born in Puerto Rico, spoke spanish but was Black. Why? Because Africans were stolen from the continent and dragged to work in slavery in the US and caribbean and South America. Arturo was a journalist and a scholar who collected articles, papers, and books about who Blacks and Afro-Latinos are. He collected so much of it that it became the basis for a library in Harlem where countless people have gone to research and go back to find out who we are. One of the reasons why he searched for our history is because a teacher told him that he and his people had no history. And if you look out most forms of media today that depict or retell history-it is like they're saying the same thing. One day we'll see a narrative film about him.

Peep this: Puerto Rico book

Inktober 12- Anabel Hernandez

Anabel Hernandez is fierce, brave, and a symbol for what journalism should be-truth seeking. But why is this Mexican Journalist receiving death threats from Narco traffickers, Police, and Federal agencies? Hear her explain why in Spanish and English.

Want this Print? $20 (includes shipping)  
Got an idea for an org to donate 30% cost to? Email me info@robdontstop.com