The Exhibit 'Black Future Newsstand Chicago' Will Explore the City's Black-Owned Media and History of Black Political Movements

CHICAGO — On Oct. 4, Free Press’ Media 2070 project, Black River Life and MediaJustice will present the immersive installation Black Future Newsstand at Chicago’s Gallery Guichard. This powerful exhibit will showcase Black-owned magazines, art and newspapers alongside coverage of Chicago’s political movements of the ’70s and ’80s. The installation will explore the relationship between news, politics, racial narratives and the potential for creating a true democracy.

The original version of the Black Future Newsstand debuted in Harlem in 2023 and a travel-size version appeared in Austin later that year. The installation invites people to consider the question “What does a media that loves Black people look, feel and sound like in a future where reparations are real?”

A panel discussion, “Breaking the Frame,” will examine the harms of pro-police propaganda and explore the potential for policy interventions that promote repair and justice. Author and Harvard research fellow Brandi Collins-Dexter will moderate the conversation, and panelists will include:

* Yohance Lacour, journalist and Smithsonian-featured artist
* Trina Reynolds-Tyler, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for “Missing in Chicago”
* Joseph Torres, Media 2070 co-founder 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 Newsstand Chicago
WHEN: Fri., Oct. 4, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. The panel discussion will take place from 1–2:30 p.m.
WHERE: Gallery Guichard, 436 East 47th St., Chicago
RSVP: RSVP here to attend the exhibit. Admission is free.

Media 2070 Senior Director Anshantia Oso said:

“The Black Future Newsstand is Media 2070’s most exciting activation. This experience is a portal that helps us dream into a future where media reparations are made real. We are so excited to invite participants to join us for a day of connecting, educating and activating with our partner MediaJustice as part of the Cultural Week of Action for Race and Democracy.”