I’d spent three months coordinating a roundtable discussion with a family court judge, probation officers, community organizers, and parents of incarcerated youth, and with one call, the meeting abruptly ended. Normally, I would have silenced the phone and continued working, but the name of my daughter’s pre-school was flashing on the screen. It was a sunny day in September 2015 and my responsibilities as a single mother were, once again, about to supersede my duties as the Project Director for a small non-profit in the Bronx.
As I flew up the highway, passing the familiar brown Manhattan buildings lining the Harlem River, Nas’s 90s classic “One Love” played on repeat. I listened to Nas rap about how incarceration impacted men; men I knew and loved. I listened to Nas rap about their friends, their families, their circumstances.
“I was like, "Yeah," shorty don't care, she a snake tooFuckin' with them niggas from that fake crew that hate you.”
He never mentioned the women like me. Women who supported the men he was rapping about. Women, like me, who loved and carried those men from their arrests through post-incarceration. Women who stayed and yet had to leave work to cover their partner’s absence. We were often seen but not heard in pop culture. The familiar song continued to blast in my car, but new thoughts now circulated in my head.
It was at that moment that my desire to create content that amplified muted voices was birthed. I needed to fill the gaps, write the stories that centered Black women and other marginalized voices within my community. I’ve since dedicated my entire writing career to this effort. I’ve written for The New York Times, ESSENCE, The Root, Pitchfork, The Guardian, and a host of other places. Yet, at this stage in my writing career, it has become less about freelancing and more about creating centrally located material that focuses on the intersection of music, culture, and Black womanhood. Which is exactly what “The B-Side: Turning Up The Volume on Muted Perspectives” is.
The “B-side" is a weekly bulletin consisting of short posts (approx. 500 words). The content will vary but the theme will remain consistent, music as a vehicle to deconstruct larger social issues and amplify typically muted voices. The concept of the "B-side" is an ode to old-school music. Two million years ago music was released on cassette tapes. Gasp. The "A-side" of the cassette received the most radio play. The “B-side” of the tape was rarely played and often forgotten about. However, as many culture and music lovers can tell you, the "B-side" was home to great music. This space would flip the proverbial “tape” and magnify voices and perspectives often ignored, while providing commentary on important issues.
The “B-side” topics would vary in depth and seriousness and feature music-centered interview and contemporary conversations around pop culture and music. Of course, some bulletins will address issues that deserve constant dialogue—like what, if anything, does accountability in the music industry look like when a person within our community harms one of our own? While complex topics will be addressed, readers can also expect to see featured album reviews and pieces spotlighting up-and-coming talents.
Ultimately, the "B-side" is a space where we spark meaningful conversation and affirm, learn from, and challenge each other's perspectives in the comments. Most importantly, it's a space where we push to collectively turn up the volume on muted perspectives.
