| Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. | It’s Giving Tuesday, a national campaign that aims to counter the consumerism of the season with an intentional call to give back. Maybe you’ve already made your donations for the year, or giving financially isn’t possible at the moment. But I’d thought I’d share a quick note on how I’m donating this year. | Early readers may remember that I’ve made a commitment to give away half of my wealth as my career unfolds. These donations today are made, in part, by the ways this readership supports me financially–by donating to this newsletter, attending a workshop, and even seeing a magic show. I’m not just sharing here to give you recommendations, but know that I’m still in this work in all the ways. Regardless of what I’m doing or where I’m based, I’m working toward the future that I know is possible. It’s at the tips of our fingers, waiting to be revealed. | Thank you for being in this work with me. | With love, | Nicole | This newsletter is powered by our readers. Here’s how you can join in: | Make a one-time or monthly donation on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@reimaginednews). You can always manage your subscription here. Sponsor an upcoming issue
| ps – looking for the audio version of this newsletter? Click to read the web version, and you’ll find the audio recording at the top of the page. This is a service provided by Beehiiv, our email publishing platform, and AI-generated. |
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| |  | A teacher, center, using a color wheel with a student surrounded by other students in a well-lit classroom. Photo Source: Getty Images |
| DonorsChoose | I’ve shared my love of DonorsChoose in this newsletter several times, and today is no different. They have a matching donation all day today, so I know my gift will both directly support a teacher’s classroom to get necessary supplies and go twice as far. Support DonorsChoose > | My local mutual aid fund | It’s getting cold where I live, and I’m making sure my local mutual aid fund has donations of gloves and socks for our unhoused community and some funds for emergency relief. Find your local mutual aid fund here > | Black Being | I believe in the power of third spaces, and the role of mindful, contemplative practices to help us feel grounded, centered and resourced. I’m on the board of Black Being, a nonprofit wellness space in downtown Inglewood, CA, providing low-cost and free programming to the community. You can give monthly to provide a free membership for the local community. Learn more > | Brave media outlets | Independent media outlets deserve our support now more than ever, so I’m making sure I’m supporting the work of Capital B News, The Intercept and Democracy Now, publishers that I often share in this newsletter and are keeping us informed of stories that are overlooked or suppressed by traditional news outlets. Consider which outlets have helped you stay engaged and informed the most, and do the same! | | | Here are some practices to consider as you make your choices today. | Give monthly (where applicable) | Many organizations are fighting to stay sustainable in a tumultuous economy, threatened by the overwhelming funding cuts by the Trump administration. Consider giving one-time and a monthly gift, no matter how small, to stay committed. | Share with your community | You can encourage others to do the same! Send a text to a friend, or humblebrag on Slack about your donation and how others can get involved. | Get your company involved | Many companies offer matching gift programs where they'll double or even triple employee donations, making Giving Tuesday an ideal time to check if your employer participates and maximize your charitable impact. Search your company's HR portal or start a conversation with your benefits team. | Think beyond tax deductions | Giving Tuesday thrives on many American’s desires to make financial donations that can provide a tax deduction for their earnings this fiscal year. But organizations that are charitable without a nonprofit tax status, like local, community-driven initiatives, might get overlooked. Consider how your impact might change when you give the work the same weight as your financial goals. | Watch for scams | Whenever I’m giving, I always search for a few examples of the work’s mission and success on multiple platforms – like reading their website, seeing testimonials on social media, and finding a news article about their work. We tend to be single platform-oriented, and trust information from one source. So before you support an organization from just one Instagram post, do some digging (that includes doing your homework about the resources I share in this newsletter!) | | |  | An Illustration of Jenny Odell and Robin Wall Kimmerer with simple graphics of colored shapes and palm fronds. Image Source: Orion Magazine |
| Gift giving, reimagined. Jenny Odell interviews Robin Wall Kimmerer about their book, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World and an economy where, instead of hoarding, it makes more sense to store your surplus “in the belly of your brother.” Read > | It’s time for progressive philanthropy to commit to funding journalism. With the folding of Teen Vogue into Vogue and the loss of newsroom diversity, marginalized voices face new obstacles amid industry cutbacks and right-wing pressure. Prism > | 250 years since its founding, America needs a declaration of interdependence. It’s time to expand the founding story of the US to reflect the forms of democracy that many of this land’s original inhabitants practiced so well, writes Emmy-nominated storyteller Baratunde Thurston. Atmos > | Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion members turn Venice’s canal green to protest COP30 outcome. The crew dropped non-toxic fluorescein dye into the canal from boats, making it look like a radioactive, toxic soup to highlight “the massive effects of climate collapse.” ART News > | Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined. The Dominican-American poet and novelist Julia Alvarez burst onto the literary scene and blazed a trail for a generation of Latino authors. Explore her extraordinary journey. Watch on PBS > | The Parables Are an Autopsy. In witnessing this wreckage here in the South, and tracing the lines from our storms to our prisons, I finally understand Octavia Butler's Parables not as prophecy, but as an autopsy. Butler's scalpel laid bare, in her time, the corpse of our present—a South where unceasing disaster is not an exception, but an expectation. Scalawag Magazine > |
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| | | Gaza still sings, draws, and dreams. Young creatives in Gaza are holding tight to the things that make them feel human amid the horrors of the genocide. PRISM > | Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza continues unabated despite ceasefire. Israeli authorities are still committing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, by continuing to deliberately inflict conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction, without signalling any change in their intent. Amnesty > | For some in Gaza, international scholarships are lifelines. For others, exile. Many students are torn between leaving to continue their education or staying in Gaza to rebuild what Israel destroyed. Truthout > | Viola Fletcher, oldest survivor of 1921 Tulsa massacre, dies at 111. “I have been blessed with a long life – and have seen the best and worst of this country. I think about the horrors inflicted upon Black people in this country every day.” 19th News > | Officer found not guilty in killing of pregnant Black mother Ta’kiya Young. An attorney for Young’s family called the outcome “an American tragedy.” CAPITAL B NEWS > | When did reporting on prison news become a crime? States have restricted, surveilled, and punished prison journalism for decades, with dire consequences—for incarcerated people and for democracy. Inquest > | A vast camera system now feeds information to police on drivers across the U.S. Flock cameras have been called invasive, insecure, and unconstitutional. Can a grassroots movement beat them back? Truthout > | 3 things to watch as Congress rounds out the year. From healthcare to House Speaker, here are the decisions to track as 2025 comes to an end. |
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