I’ve dragged my feet a bit on sharing this video. It means a lot to me—not just because I composed the music underneath it, but because the video features the voices of my colleagues at Next City, where I serve as executive director.
They are among the most dedicated people I’ve ever worked with, committed to changing the world for the better. And it’s important to me that I give them a proper introduction.
Part of my job is talking to foundations, sponsors, and donors about what we do. So I’m well-practiced in the story of our nonprofit: We spread solutions from one city to the next city. The people who read our journalism are special—they actually use our stories in their work.
What kind of work? They wear many hats in nonprofits and local government, but what unites them is a shared mission: to achieve greater racial equity. Next City equips this group with the knowledge and information they need to be more effective—or we help spark their next idea in affordable housing, community ownership, climate resilience, and more.
But, wow, when it comes to talking about our team? There are no words effusive enough. Maybe music can help.
The song underneath this video is named “We Will Fight Free.” I wrote it as a challenge—could I create a piece of music that sounds like the news? But more than that, I wanted it to sound like “the news” I want to see in the world, not the kind we’re forced to endure.
I’ve devoted my entire career to journalism, and I know its failures intimately. The truth throughout our history is, journalism has failed the most vulnerable. As a gay man, I know what it’s like to have my life treated by journalists as debatable. Discrimination is framed as having a legitimate “side” worth quoting and considering. People of color, religious minorities, LGBTQ+ communities—we’ve all felt it.
Except at Next City, which is proudly different from other media. And that’s only possible because of the people behind it—some of which you hear from in this video. They live up to the ideal I imagined when I composed “We Will Fight Free.”
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