Join Echoing Ida! 2019-2020 Community Application

February 1, 2019
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” – Ida B. Wells-Barnett

WHO WE ARE

Echoing Ida is a Forward Together community of Black women and non-binary writers. Our work disrupts oppressive narratives and seeds a world where we can thrive. We believe in reproductive justice and building movements for social change. Together, we speak truth to power and empower our communities. Learn more about us.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We’re looking for passionate advocates who want to shift culture through writing and storytelling. Ten participants will receive training and support to generate media and shape conversation ahead of the November 2020 elections. Trainings include introductions to various forms of writing and storytelling, narrative shift strategy, how to pitch and other freelancing basics, and more.

In 2021, writers can receive continued support through paid leadership opportunities or for their own projects. All will join our growing network of truth tellers. Meet our current community of writers.

We provide:

  • Monthly 90-minute training webinars
  • Annual strategy & writing retreats in northern California
  • Professional editing and pitch support
  • Small group and one-on-one peer support
  • A small monthly stipend
  • Access to paid writing opportunities
  • Conference and external training opportunities
  • Amplification through social media and email newsletters

THE COMMITMENT

  • Participating April 2019 – December 2020
  • Attending a retreat June 20-23, 2019 in Pacific Grove, CA
  • Creating and publishing at least 6 pieces of content
  • Valuing community, collaboration and non-violent communication
  • Working towards the movement building and culture shift goals of Forward Together
  • Investing 5-10 hours/month towards trainings, small group calls, writing, pitching, editing, and other activities

2019-2020 AREAS OF FOCUS

Accessible, comprehensive healthcare. Includes abortion, reproductive health, maternal health, sexual health, state and federal health coverage.

Safety for all communities. Includes immigrant justice, trans justice, disability justice, ending sexual and gender-based violence, alternatives to policing and incarceration.

Dignity for all families. Includes non-nuclear families, chosen families, young parents, queer partnership and parenting, paid family leave, public benefits.

THE EDITORS

Angela Bronner Helm is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience in media. In her career, Angela has held top editorial positions at AOL Black Voices and Uptown and Essence magazines; she also served for six semesters as an adjunct professor of journalism at the City College of New York. Angela is currently a Contributing Editor to news and culture site TheRoot.com. She’s a 2018-2019 Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellow, where she will be exploring the effectiveness of the NYPD’s Crisis Intervention Training Program as it relates to police violence against civilians who have mental illnesses. She is passionate about travel, food, and social justice with a particular lens focused on policing, mental health, race and gender.

Dr. Cynthia Greenlee is a North Carolina-based African-Americanist legal historian and journalist who specializes in the history of Black girls and women in the American South. She’s also senior editor at Rewire.News, an online publication about reproductive health, rights, and justice. And she’s author of a forthcoming book about African-Americans and abortion. Her writing has appeared in Elle, Smithsonian, Vice, Longreads, the Washington Post, Salon, and Bon Appetit, among others. When she’s not writing about race and history, she’s writing about food, working on her dog training certification, and unapologetically consuming reality TV.

Carla Murphy is a social justice journalist who explores race, class, status and power in low-income communities of color. She was selected as a journalist leader at the 2018 Kopkind Colony retreat for social justice journalists and activists and has been a fellow of The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, a staff reporter for Colorlines and a producer for the talk radio host Brian Lehrer. Her work has appeared in The Nation, Columbia Journalism Review, The Chicago Reporter, The Christian Science Monitor, O and other publications. Carla is a graduate of the Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York and the London School of Economics.

TO APPLY

Fill out the application by March 8, 2019. No publishing experience necessary. Email any questions to echoingida@forwardtogether.org.

We will prioritize applicants who:

  • Live in Oregon, New Mexico or the southeast
  • Have direct personal and/or advocacy experience in our areas of focus
  • Are trans, non-binary, two-spirt and/or gender non-conforming
  • Live with disabilities