& This could be a Dream Deferred [But YOU could be the change].
Once upon a college project, in one of the most segregated cities in the country, where creativity blooms, even in the darkest shadows, a flicker of a dream was born. We have told this story several times. You know the one where we discovered a void in the market, where the media disregards the people who need it most, mis-representing our vitality, and undermining our existence. We knew the systems we were up against and yet we still had the audacity to dream for more. More equity in the media, more respect for creative industry, more entrepreneurship for Black & Brown people, more women in positions of leadership, more collaboration with local businesses, and more joy in being unapologetically Urban.
It’s a good story but often we forget to share the struggle of this dream.
From the start CopyWrite has been a self funded organization, knowing historically how difficult it has been for the Black & Brown community to access capital [we are them & they are us]. We have been told we “look” like money all while using the “eat what you kill” method to maintain. We earned every dollar [there was no line of credit], we paid it forward [because each one should always teach one], we worked for free [& we gained our freedom from work]. But we have to be realistic. We NEED more.
So we applied for a KIVA loan [a crowd funding source that allows individuals to contribute to big leading amounts with the guarantee to get their money back. Because it’s a LOAN babbbbbby!]
As our communal impact expands, partnerships increase and there are more stories to tell, we need the equipment to expand our creative horizon. With a loan like this, we will be able to serve more of our community with visual assets and the technology to produce anything that we can pretty much imagine media wise. Computers, cameras, and sound booths give us the competitive edge our corporate counterparts have [because “that's what money do”]. We want what we do to always be quality, and this loan ensures our quality will last for years to come.
Who will help us help the community? Who will stand with us and do MORE?
This message is a personal request for a favor. Now if you know me well enough, you know it's hard for me to ask for help [& if it wasn’t for my team I wouldn’t even ask]. But when that help is so I can continue to support others, then "I ain't too proud to beg" LOL.
Your contribution matters. It says that you are an advocate for change. It says that you believe in the power of a dream that has been served by action. It says that community deserves better. It says that we can all do more. If you have $25.00 [or more] to spare for a while, please consider tapping that link. I am hoping you will be willing to pour into the /CW Fam so that we can continue to #SupportTheLocal, advocate for change in the creative industries, and continue to connect people to Cultural and Human experiences that builds authentic community, collaborative sustainability, and narrative shifting.
This is [& always will be] bigger than us.
Love & All Things Urban,
Lexi S. Brunson | Owner/ Active Editor-in-Chief /CW