By URL Media

Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit founded by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, announced today they are aligning behind and providing new support to several key organizations, including URL Media, that are tackling a number of today’s most-pressing global conversations. 

URL Media Holdings Inc. is a network of high-performing Black and Brown owned media outlets. Other grantees include Color of Change, the largest online racial justice organization in the U.S; Mind, a charitable leader across England and Wales that believes nobody should have to face a mental health problem alone; and PressPad, a London-based group trying to diversify media. 

Archewell Foundation’s global mission is to unite communities and drive systemic change by unleashing what it believes is the defining cultural force of the 21st century: compassion. Its announcement lauds URL Media for being "focused on the mission that community media organizations— that directly serve and reflect their audiences — can co-create a network to thrive and grow together.”

URL Media’s network shares content, distribution and revenues. The inaugural eight partners are: Documented NY,  Epicenter, the Haitian Times, Palabra, Scalawag, ScrollStack, TBN24 and WURD Radio. URL will be sharing its grant with members to fund exactly the type of representative storytelling each outlet is known for -- rooted in service to their communities. 

URL Media co-founder Sara Lomax-Reese lauded Archewell’s donation and commitment. “Supporting Black and Brown-owned media contributes to the nuanced storytelling that centers our experiences, history and voices,” said Lomax-Reese, also the president of WURD Radio in Philadelphia, one of the inaugural members of the URL network. “It also provides a counterpoint to the societal narratives that too often perpetuate stereotypes and caricatures.”

Indeed, in a ground-breaking interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this week, the Duchess underscored this need. 

“Growing up as a person of color, I know how important representation is,” Meghan Markle said. “I know how important it is to see people like you.”

URL Media CEO S. Mitra Kalita said these comments in the interview especially resonated. “I heard her say that on TV and immediately thought, ‘That’s exactly why we launched URL," said Kalita, also the publisher of Epicenter-NYC, a news outlet to help New Yorkers get through the pandemic. "To have her reach out, just days after an interview exposing and confirming racism, means so much. Archewell’s gift allows us to do the important work of telling our stories from our own perspectives.”

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