July 18, 2025
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
AframNews.com
Vol.30, Issue 26
FREE
African-American News&Issues
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
STOP WAITING ON THE SCHOOLS
FINDING THEIR VOICES By: Roy Douglas Malonson
What happens when you hand a microphone, a notepad, and a camera to a group of curious, passionate, and unapologetically bold Black youth? You get the future of journalism—and it looks a lot like Houston. That’s exactly what unfolded June 23–27 at 2411 Emancipation Avenue, where African American News & Issues, Texas’ longest-running and most trusted Black-owned newspaper, proudly launched its first-ever Junior Journalist Program—a powerful, weeklong training experience that gave youth ages 8 to 17 an authentic, behind-the-scenes look into the media world. From journalism and podcasting to photography and weather reporting, students weren’t
just learning—they were being equipped to lead. And the best part? It was completely free. This summer internship-style program was a bold expression of the newspaper’s continued commitment to community empowerment, education, and media equity. By creating space for young people to explore their voice in a professional, safe, and culturally relevant environment, African American News & Issues once again proved why it’s not just a publication—but a pillar of the people. A Program That Felt Like Purpose This wasn’t a lecture-style camp. It was a hands-on, interactive, confidence-building media lab, infused with real-world Voices on pg. 3
Let’s keep it real—our kids are being raised in a world dominated by media, yet less than 15% of public schools offer formal media education, and the percentage is even lower in Black and low-income communities. Meanwhile, our youth consume up to 7.5 hours of media per day, much of it created without them—or worse, about them, but not by them. And when Black kids aren’t given the tools to tell their own stories, guess what happens? Others tell it for them—often wrong, often biased, and often damaging. That’s why African American News & Issues didn’t wait on school districts, grants, or permission. We launched the Junior Journalist Program—a free summer internship that gave Houston youth the power to write, record, photograph, and report their truth. Because we know the power of the pen—and we know how dangerous it is when we don’t control it. Our newspaper has spent decades covering stories mainstream media ignores. We’ve reported from inside the community—not from a helicopter, but from the heart. And now, we’re passing that torch to the next generation. This isn’t just about media. This is about literacy, leadership, and legacy. When our youth learn media skills, they learn how to think critically. They learn to research, to question, to speak up. That’s not just education—that’s Read more at aframnews.com