Prism
@prismreports
Followers
13K
Following
6K
Media
464
Statuses
10K
An award-winning independent & nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color. Accurate, fearless, ground-up reporting—because justice requires the full story.
in solidarity ✊
Joined February 2019
We’re leaving X. Our decision to stop posting here was precipitated by the growing white supremacist presence & suppression of movement journalism—but here’s how we can transform the way we get news in service of collective liberation & stay connected.
3
3
32
Amy’s Kitchen, an organic frozen food company, announced the abrupt closure of its San Jose, California facility where workers have been organizing to form a union with Unite Here labor union, resulting in over 300 workers losing their jobs.
206
2K
3K
🧵It's #IndigenousPeoplesDay, and we're taking a look at the LANDBACK movement and how it addresses the root cause of climate disaster. In our three-part series, we dive into how to tackle ecological disruption caused by capitalism and settler colonialism.
5
209
487
“there is so much beauty and comfort in being in love and just being… / – amidst sounds of buzzing / chirps / crickets / the pleasant but irregular blowing of the wind”. 24 years on death row, Marcellus Williams says poetry is a lifeline. Read @innocence:
3
175
418
After targeted attacks on power stations left 45,000 North Carolinians without power, similar attacks have now occurred in Washington and Oregon. Let’s look at how they fit into the broader context of state-sanctioned violence against LGBTQ+ people by right-wing extremists: 🧵.
6
190
390
Domestic violence against disabled women is an issue “hidden” right in front of us. This omission is not only deadly, but fails to protect a demographic whose experience can often be tied to their disability identity. By @VilissaThompson.
1
233
330
103 years after an armed white mob in Tulsa, OK, killed hundreds of Black residents & burned their community to the ground, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by survivors. The Tulsa Race Massacre was one of the worst acts of racial terrorism in the U.S.
11
172
299
My experience seeing Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour in Philadelphia was severely impacted by the stadium’s lack of care for disabled concertgoers, writes @VilissaThompson in a new op-ed. Disabled people deserve concert venues that ensure full accessibility.
3
148
294
Iranian students are still waiting for their visas to process, leaving lives in limbo, @alex__mar follows up. 2,000+ students from various embassies who applied since 2022 are facing delays of up to two years, disrupted careers, & psychological distress.
159
118
283
Adoption abolition envisions a world without “organized abandonment.” From the latest in our six-part series on #adoption and #reprojustice, organizer Nicole Eigbrett speaks with @prismreports on the work she is doing to heal from adoption trauma.
1
90
230
Like many of you, we’ve been following along the changes on Twitter since the change of ownership this past October. In an op-ed, @VilissaThompson reflects on how #DisabilityTwitter has been a transformative means of connection for many disabled people: 🧵.
1
145
228
COVID data quietly disappears while cases rise, @byashpeterson reports. Concerned citizens call for more funding after “major blow” to key COVID-19 tracking metric as they now have to chase down information from one resource-strapped program to another.
2
135
225
Share this on your timeline. We're a BIPOC news outlet challenging white supremacy and toxic narratives. If you can donate, please retweet and challenge someone else to do the same to keep the momentum going. Donate here:
1
182
191
"For years and years and years disabled folks have been told “we’re sorry, but an accessible online option just isn’t possible,” and that has turned out to be a lie. I believe that hybrid events are the future."
0
95
200
Why isn’t PEN America paying its incarcerated literary prize winners? @alex_tretbar & @deutschbitte ask in a new op-ed. Recent winners of PEN America’s Prison Writing Awards are missing a total of $925 in payments—a small fortune in prison.
3
126
206
Prism is proud to be part of the media collective launching Media Against Apartheid & Displacement, a hub that gathers articles about the ongoing apartheid, occupation, & genocide in Gaza, US complicity, & resistance movements for Palestinian liberation.
7
109
208
Incredible scenes from Atlanta, where public comment continues after @micahinATL addressed officials at a council meeting with record turnout. We were so proud to work with Micah on this piece about #StopCopCity's origins:
Council President Doug Shipman just called police into the chambers as an attempt to clear those of us inside for cheering after the speakers. we protested. the chambers have not been cleared.
1
37
189
Remembering the words of Palestinian writer Refaat Alareer who has been killed in Gaza in an Israeli airstrike with his close family💔. His story for @scalawagmag's Abolition Week, “They even keep our corpses: Dying in Israeli prisons.” From June 2023.
3
125
195
BIPOC book creators are calling out Islamophobia at St. Martin’s Press, @npishak reports. A large portion of the online book community has been participating in a months-long marketing boycott against the publishing imprint under MacMillan.
0
149
190
We claim “children are the future,” but how the U.S. fails to fund & support initiatives that could protect access to resources for children and their families displays the opposite. These are the same ideals that underpin ableism, writes @VilissaThompson.
0
117
171
“Iranian students are not terrorists, because out of our country, some people think we are terrorists.” Hundreds of Iranian students & scholars are facing a visa backlog, @alex__mar writes. Legal advocates say it’s a direct consequence of Section 306.
108
83
170
What’s the deal with the Latine vote? @brujacontumbao considers in a new op-ed. The diverse Latine experience, shaped by factors like class, immigration status, race, & class, is too often oversimplified—both by outsiders & within our own communities.
9
51
169
HarperCollins workers have been on strike for more than 50 days, unanswered by corporate. Solidarity between union workers at HarperCollins and authors is more crucial than ever, says Rye White in an op-ed. How can you help? Don’t cross the picket line.
0
91
152
Indigenous worldviews don't treat land as property; the air, water, and soil that keep us alive aren't a means of building wealth. LANDBACK calls for people to establish a reciprocal relationship with the land.
1
23
154
“The Stop Cop City movement—and the state’s violent response against it—proves there is no livable future without police abolition.“. @SultanReina on domestic terrorism charges wielded against land defenders, condemning the expansion of the carceral state.
1
49
137
”We should consider what’s happening at Cop City a harbinger of the future of protest,” writes @SultanReina. The @defendATLforest movement—and the state’s violent response against it—proves that there is no livable future without police abolition.
4
43
133
Did you know? 💡. Indigenous peoples throughout the world steward 80% of the planet's biodiversity yet comprise 5% of the global population.
1
23
132
📣 Announcement!. We’re thrilled to be part of the Movement Media Alliance—a coalition of grassroots, social justice-driven journalism orgs committed to accurate, transparent, accountable, & principled media, & to collaborating to amplify impact. 🧵.
1
43
133
This is a really powerful thread — not just for talking points, but for context and fact-checking resources.
As someone who has firsthand witnessed the way zionist indoctrination is used to radicalize Jews against Palestine, I wanted to make a 🧵 of things that helped me unlearn what I had been taught to hopefully help people deprogram themselves or their loved ones.
1
58
128
“If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, & loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”.—Malcolm X. Join @MayaSchenwar, @ayshabkhan, & @JoshuaPHilll for our event on tools for media literacy.
1
50
123
“It's not even that [Black women] don't have the same grace or space to fail [as white men]. We don't even have the same grace to enter.”. An incredible piece from Prism's newest staff reporter, @TheWayWithAnoa!.
6
39
99
“Multi-million dollar correctional telecom corporations like Securus & ViaPath charge families over 50 cents per minute for phone calls & even more for video calls. Not even email is free: A simple message can run as high as 50 cents, or more with attachments.”.
"No child should be cut off from their parent simply because they can’t afford to remain in contact. Policymakers . must move to loosen the stranglehold of predatory prison telecom industries with policies that make prison and jail communication free."
2
65
109
Sex workers face hostility, from electoral politics to the dehumanizing carceral state, but continue to organize with and for each other.
0
31
102
The state of Missouri lynched Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams, Hannah Greene writes. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s racist & hypocritical pardon history reflects the U.S. criminal justice system’s insidious bedrock of white supremacy & Black dehumanization.
1
62
109
Hundreds of Iranian students & scholars are facing a visa backlog, @alex__mar reports. Legal advocates say it’s a direct consequence of Section 306, a post-9/11 law that deems applicants from a “state sponsor of terror” ineligible for visa applications.
52
60
103
🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT: We're looking for an audience engagement editor. Prism is a national news outlet centering BIPOC stories and voices. Come join our team! Position is full-time remote $65-$75K. Learn more:
2
62
93
Tomorrow, arguments begin in court for a lawsuit filed against Pres. Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin for failing to prevent “unfolding genocide” against 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
1
49
90
The law is not for us, it’s against us, writes @williamcson in a new op-ed. The law is not a location where justice is dolled out equally. It’s a place where the ruling classes name their interests as a universal morality.
2
38
91
Reproductive justice is an international human rights framework, so why are groups getting pushback for supporting Palestine? @NicoleFroio spoke to eight abortion support orgs who say the siege on Gaza is undeniably a reproductive justice issue.
2
45
90
NC’s power stations were targeted by extremists to disrupt & prevent drag brunch events scheduled in the area. Alexandra Martinez spoke with drag queens across the country about the impact of harassment, threats, & legislation that would criminalize drag:.
1
13
79
Police don’t stop or prevent crime, but police propaganda in U.S. media pushes another narrative.
2
42
78
Despite President Biden’s campaign promises, the administration has abandoned COVID precautions and infrastructure, leading to a higher COVID death count than under Trump. Latest from @thrasherxy:
0
39
85
My decision to be child-free had nothing to do with my disability, writes @VilissaThompson in a new op-ed. Ableist misconceptions lead many to believe disabled people don’t desire to be parents.
1
34
84
#Reprojustice workers & advocates grapple with major orgs' silence about Israel’s ongoing siege on Gaza, @NicoleFroio reports. This moment exposes the hypocrisy of white feminism, aligned with a democratic government aiding the annihilation of Palestine.
0
57
83
#NorthCarolina organizers call for a new sheriff, removal of Confederate monuments, and an end to ICE collaboration. By @TheRealTamar.
1
25
77
Emmett Till was lynched 65 years ago today. His killing spurred the civil rights movement and inspired events like the historic 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr spoke of his "Dream" for the country. Via @theGrio.
3
51
76
We're hiring! 📣 We're a BIPOC-led newsroom that centers underreported stories. ✨ Full-time: Copy Editor, News Director, Senior Director.✨ Part-time: Workers’ Rights Contributing Writer, Midwest Workers’ Rights Correspondent. 📝 More info + apply here:
1
50
80
We're looking for freelance article, essay and op-ed pitches! We're also open to illustrated nonfiction stories and comics. Send your ideas to pitch@ourprism.org. Check out our previously published stories to get a feel for our work:
11
32
79
“We are raising our voices to honor the dead & fight for the living.” Journalists must speak out about Gaza because attacks on journalism & media are dangerous to us all.
1
51
77
What would it look like to eliminate broken, abusive policing systems? Shifting resources from the armed agents who define modern police forces to alternative forms of public safety are more than enough to keep communities safe, writes @joemayall.
0
36
81
Prism leadership voluntarily (and enthusiastically!) recognized the Prism Workers United union this morning. It is proud and happy to begin the bargaining process with a dedication to making it as seamless and timely as possible and growing Prism to be better & stronger for all.
UPDATE: Prism leadership has voluntarily recognized @prism_union! Affirming the integrity of our workers’ rights coverage & Prism as a workplace model truly committed to collective liberation, management agrees to sit down at the bargaining table with workers. #UnionStrong
1
15
78
"How can you have a conversation about criminal justice or mass incarceration and not come talk to people who have been directly impacted?" -@RealNHenderson #JusticeVotes2020 . Today's forum is held in a museum that was once a prison, attended by people impacted by incarceration.
Tune in to the @nowthisnews YouTube on Monday at 1:00PM ET for the #JusticeVotes2020 livestream:
2
25
59
NEW: Disabled activists warn that a ‘return to normal’ threatens increased accessibility through virtual and hybrid events. Hosting virtual events makes it more possible to alleviate several factors that marginalized people face. By @VilissaThompson.
1
48
64
We have an obligation to recognize this country’s colonialist history and the ongoing violence towards Indigenous peoples and communities. Today and everyday, we stand in solidarity with them. 🎨: Alex Albadree
0
24
66
📣 We're hiring a Community Engagement Editor! 📣. We're looking for an engaging, creative storyteller to support our newsroom connect with Prism readers. Application is due Oct 10th. Link to apply:
3
49
74
“Every moral & ethical part of my bones, flesh, & soul leaves me with only one viable option: to unequivocally renounce my Israeli citizenship.” Nadav Gazit writes that once you unlearn Zionist propaganda, there is no going back.
0
39
70
Suzanne Nossel’s leadership of PEN America rode on the org’s inadequate response to Israeli genocide in Gaza, failure to support Palestinian writers, allegations of political censorship lodged by union staff, & its failure to compensate incarcerated writers.🧵.
BREAKING: After nine months of organized protest, awards withdrawals, mass staff defections, and sustained boycotts in solidarity with Palestinian writers, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel resigns.
1
36
74
In this op-ed, Prism ED Lara Witt explains that this violence is “a fire stoked by the white supremacist, Christian-fascist right… to legislate us out of existence and to erase us from all public spheres”.
1
13
64
One month after Atlanta’s City Council voted to approve funding for #CopCity, activists are still fighting to halt construction. Organizers are now pursuing a ballot referendum—petitioners must collect an estimated 70,000 signatures by Aug. 15.
0
36
62
Six years ago today we lost Mike Brown, and his family continues to fight for his justice. This year he would have been 24 years old. May he always rest in power. 🕊
3
32
62
📢THREAD: Abortion funds are one of the most effective organizing communities supporting people seeking abortions. Learn more about what they are and how to tap into your local abortion fund. ⤵️.
2
40
63
Louisiana is the only state where every Republican & Democratic woman senator voted to remove #reprorights, writes @GeauxGabrielle. The political discourse has opened the eyes of many to the state's hostility toward women & other marginalized genders.
2
44
61
Especially during Pride celebrations, @TheTinaVasquez showed how drag queens are declaring a “glitter first, fear second” approach to defending Drag Story Hour across the country:.
2
8
62
The BIPOC who carried Biden & Harris to victory are ready to hold them accountable, because while we may now be a bit safer, we’re not yet safe. Our persistence and brilliance brought us this far. With them, we’ll carry our communities and this country even further still. 🗣️
1
17
62
Drag story programs aren’t the only queer spaces under attack. Between skyrocketing numbers of hate crimes and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, threats to education and culture isolate queer people from community they need more than ever.
1
11
63
Today is International Sex Workers’ Rights Day. Throughout the pandemic, SWers continue to break down the stigmatization of the industry while also making the business safer and more sustainable for fellow BIPOC performers and workers. Here are a few of their stories ⤵️.
1
37
64
More policing won't solve anti-Asian racism—it only puts Asian people at risk for more violence. Asian solidarity with Black and brown communities is a necessary catalyst for tackling white supremacy and the systems that enable racism. #StopAsianHate.
1
37
63
For over 60 years, groups like #SNCC and the #BlackPanthers have been influencing movements - paving the way to much of the activism alive today. by @TheWayWithAnoa .#BlackLivesMatter #RacialJustice.
1
38
64
Freelance editor alert! 📢 Prism, a BIPOC-led nonprofit newsroom, (that's us! 👋🏿) is looking for a contributing editor to manage our new #RefugeeResettlement series. 4-mo contract; $1K/mo. Find out more + how to apply ➡️ #mediadiversity #journalismjobs.
2
64
59
Iranians hoping to attend college in the U.S. are caught in limbo as they wait for visas to be processed, @alex__mar reports. Advocates say Iranian students are victims of discriminatory immigration policies exacerbated by the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
17
33
64
Students across University of Texas have joined campuses to protest the genocide of Palestinians & demand their university divest from companies funding Israel. @nehamira14 speaks with UT-Austin protestors who say they won’t back down following arrests.
1
29
63
Are you a journalist/editor/media maker who wants to align your work w/ liberation movements?. 📥 APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN for our Reflective Journalism Project, a development workshop for writing & publishing accurate narratives supporting justice movements!.
2
51
64
"Israel’s genocide is forcing a new generation of nonprofit workers to navigate philanthropy’s 'progressive except Palestine' approach to funding," writes @NicoleFroio in the latest for Prism.
0
43
63
In July, @NicoleFroio broke the story of the scapegoating of DC Abortion Fund after Oct. 7 when a former staffer split from the org’s repro justice mission—which had always included global liberation—when majority staffers called for ceasefire in Gaza.
Super cool to put my neck on the line to tell stories journalists only get the guts to report on months later after I broke the story and not be cited AT ALL -
1
35
61
On full display during the first presidential debate, unchecked disinformation undermines the values fair elections. "These kinds of misleading narratives threaten voters’ sense of empowerment and their trust in our democracy.". By @TheWayWithAnoa.
0
20
56
“Brat” this; ”demure” that. @kylietcheung prev. dissected how states’ digital presences take the propaganda playbook into the social media age. By impersonating Western audiences’ speech, govt accounts hack attention away from their crimes—even genocide.
Department of Homeland Security now using the term “demure”.
2
27
59
As unions become more diverse, confronting anti-Blackness and creating racial equity have become make-or-break to the success of workers’ rights movements. Progress hinges on leadership, writes Brenton Zola. The fight requires solidarity on all fronts.
0
16
55
Abolishing school suspensions may help alleviate discrimination. Black students and students with disabilities are significantly more likely to be suspended than white students, increasing their likelihood of dropping out and entering the carceral system.
0
16
53
In the days since the Buffalo shooting, organizers say a deeper conversation is needed on the issues that have plagued Buffalo for decades, including redlining and racial segregation.
0
21
55
‼️On June 21, NYC's Rent Guidelines Board will vote on proposed rent hikes in a city where a growing crisis leaves half of NYC households unable to cover their basic needs. Tenants need to know their rights to demand an affordable future, writes @JenikaMc.
1
25
55
📥 CALL FOR PITCHES.It's almost a year since 10/7 & we’re reflecting on imperialism, ecocide, climate justice & the movement for justice in Palestine. If you’re a freelance reporter thinking creatively abt these intersections, get in touch by Friday 8/23 at ray@prismreports.org!.
3
58
58
The family of an undocumented Guatemalan immigrant who was injured in an accident prevented his deportation from a Pennsylvania hospital—a deportation organized not by federal immigration authorities, but by the hospital itself. Story by @TheTinaVasquez.
3
47
52
Building on the foundation of previous strikes and organized movements, people on the inside of Alabama prisons are now regrouping to continue the fight for abolition.
1
38
53
PEN America doesn’t prioritize incarcerated writers, former staffers say. @deutschbitte follows up on how the literary nonprofit receives millions of dollars in funding for its prison writing programming, funds that rarely benefit those inside.
0
42
56
While politicians would restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare, intersex children remain subject to forced medical interventions. @SherrondaJBrown shows how this hypocrisy makes clear that the goal is to eliminate queerness altogether:.
2
7
51
Anti-protest laws don’t just exist to protect some of the biggest sources of carbon emissions, like refineries, electric power facilities, and natural gas and oil facilities, but to uphold the power of corporations at the expense of vulnerable communities.
0
21
53
From potentially deadly mishandling of mobility devices to people’s refusal to wear masks, travel during a pandemic can be a laundry list of stressors for disabled people, says @prismreports contributor @VilissaThompson.
0
36
53
Queer people also experience disproportionate violence and intimidation in virtual spaces. @adrierising writes, “Reddit is a breeding ground for particularly vile and violent communities that target women and the trans community.”.
0
9
51
Workers demand that Planned Parenthood divest, but is the organization listening? @NicoleFroio follows up on her exposé. Not only were leaders instructed to deny links to Raytheon, pro-Palestine workers broadly say they face retaliation for their views.
0
48
51
Nebraska activists want undocumented essential workers prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination. “They were named essential workers at the expense of their health. They didn’t have a choice from the beginning.”.
0
15
49
By exceeding my life expectancy, I’ve become a model for other Black disabled women, writes @VilissaThompson in a new op-ed. Getting older is considered a privilege for disabled people, who must also navigate grief and loss more often than others.
0
27
55
Cornell University cancels de-enrollment plans of Ph.D. scholar @MomodouTaal following backlash & an appeal process, @nayanikawrites reports. Taal can continue his studies & stay in the U.S., & he maintains that he will continue his activism for Palestine.
0
10
49
In addition to preventing medical access, Florida’s Board of Education unanimously passed laws to prevent educational access on these topics, threatening teachers and schools with LGBTQ+ inclusive policies:
1
6
48
In this earth-shattering, history-defining moment, US media is evading its responsibility to acknowledge the Gaza genocide. @prismreports's Editorial Director Lara Witt & Editor-at-large @TheTinaVasquez name what's evident on the ground: genocide.
0
39
50
For more than 20 years, Dr. Albert Kligman experimented on men incarcerated at Pennsylvania’s Holmesburg Prison. His development of tretinoin, or Retin-A, was on the backs of incarcerated men who carry the consequences long after the clinical trials ended.
1
31
50
Libraries cannot escape responsibility for the harm caused by clinging to a comforting illusion at the expense of the people they’re supposed to serve.
0
15
48
As HarperCollins workers extend their strike into the new year for a livable salary, several authors express their support for the @hcpunion despite potential risks to their debut novels. @alex__mar spoke with HC authors on why they support the union.
0
25
49