Notes On Our Rebuild, Issue 2: The Pillars We’re Building On

Participation, Publishing and Production

You Had Me at Black and Martina Abrahams Ilunga

Jul 22, 2025

Through the rest of the summer, you’ll hear from me twice a month as I break down different parts of You Had Me at Black’s next chapter. Each will go deeper into a different piece of the rebuild. By fall, you’ll have a fuller view of what we’re building and how you might step in.

Hey Y’all,

Growing up, I was a big fan of magazines. My favorites were Essence, Ebony and Jet. My mom had a monthly subscription to each and I couldn’t wait for them to arrive in the mail. Between their covers were entire worlds. I could travel to places near and far from my New Jersey suburb and meet Black folks who were like me, and not like me at all. Their pages are where I got some of my earliest exposure to regional cultures, language, and style. Where I saw our issues prioritized, our history uplifted, and our expressions honored. Where I first became curious about the fabrics and threads that make a people, and that hold us together.

When I imagine the future of You Had Me at Black, I think back to how these magazines made me feel: connected, beautiful, important, proud.

And I think about the next generation -- what stories will shape their world? What stories will inspire their role in it? Beyond algorithms and robots and content, what stories will remind us who we are?

My People by Langston Hughes: The night is beautiful, So the faces of my people. The stars are beautiful, So the eyes of my people. Beautiful, also, is the sun. Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people. — *‘My People’ by Langston Hughes*

I reminisce about the magazines, encyclopedias, books, music, radio and TV shows that I used to get lost in. I think about the power of publishing to create portals, representations and keepsakes.

I remember the performances, cookouts, block parties and exhibitions that made me feel part of something larger than myself. I think about how productions create intimacy and shared memory.

I recall the sou-sous, meal trains, exchanges, swaps, collaborations and informal economies that sustain our survival. I think about the role participation plays in quality of life.

Publishing, production, and participation: these are the pillars supporting the home You Had Me at Black is building.

Participation forms the foundation that makes this home sturdy. Our community’s time, financial, and storytelling contributions that underpin everything we do.

Publishing provides the artifacts that make it beautiful and interesting. Podcasts, zines, books, vinyls, and more where our stories are brought to life and preserved.

Production creates the memories that fill it with life. Kickbacks, workshops, shows, games and events where we get our IRL fix.