The Black Future Newsstand, a media exhibit focused on envisioning a better future for Black people, has arrived in Chicago. The exhibit, hosted at the Black-owned Gallery Guichard, features diverse works that celebrate racial justice.
Tia Oso, senior director of the Media 2070 project, emphasized the significance of bringing the exhibit to Chicago, a city often impacted by negative national narratives about its Black community. “Chicago is a great example of both a city and a Black community that is a part of a really harmful national narratives,” Oso told The Triibe.
First launched in Harlem in 2023, the newsstand has traveled across the U.S., including a stop at Austin’s Afrotech celebration. Its arrival in Chicago is part of the nationwide “Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy.”
In addition to the newsstand, the exhibit will feature an installation titled “Blue Noise,” curated by Brandi Collins-Dexter. This piece explores how the media shapes perceptions of policing and harms Black communities.
Chicago’s historical significance in shaping Black culture and media is a major theme of the exhibit. “Chicago is, in a lot of ways, the place that established how we understood a shared story of who we are as people,” Collins-Dexter noted.
Co-creator Collette Watson added that the exhibit seeks to challenge the negative media portrayal of Black Chicago and promote a positive vision of Black futures. “Our team understands that the city of Chicago… is so often thrown around by bad actors in the media and journalism space,” Watson explained, calling for an end to harmful stereotypes.
The Black Future Newsstand officially opens on October 4.
