CHICAGO — On October 4, Free Press Media 2070, Black River Life, and MediaJustice will present the immersive installation Black Future Newsstand at Chicago's Guichard Gallery. This powerful exhibition will showcase black-owned magazines, arts, and newspapers along with coverage of Chicago's political movements of the 1970s and 1980s. The installation will explore the relationship between news, politics, racist narratives and the possibility of creating true democracy.
The original version of Black Future Newsstand debuted in Harlem in 2023 and a travel-sized version debuted in Austin later that year. The installation invites people to consider the question, “What does black-loving media look, feel and look like in a future where reparations are real?”
A panel discussion titled “Breaking the Frame” will examine the harms of pro-police propaganda and explore the potential for policy interventions that promote reform and justice. The conversation will be moderated by author and Harvard Research Fellow Brandi Collins-Dexter, and panelists will include:
* Johannes Laqueur, journalist and distinguished artist at the Smithsonian Institution
*Trina Reynolds Tyler, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for her book “Missing in Chicago”
* Joseph Torres, co-founder of Media 2070 and New York Times bestselling co-author of News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media
What: Black Future News booth Chicago
When: Friday, October 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the panel discussion will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Guichard Gallery, 436 East 47th Street, Chicago
RSVP: RSVP here to attend the exhibition. Admission is free.
Enchantia Owusu, Senior Program Director of Media 2070, said:
“Black Future Newsstand is the most exciting activation of Media 2070. This experience is a gateway to help us dream of a future where media reparations become a reality. We are very excited to invite participants to join us for a day of networking, educating and activating with our partner MediaJustice as part of the Cultural Action Week of For race and democracy.
