From the Editor: On Micro-Community
With cover artist statement
On the very same day that Americans have, since 1986, set aside to honor the life, work, and memory of one of the greatest civil rights leaders of our time, we inaugurated a president who immediately got to work undermining much of the progress that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired into action. Petty, white colonialist moves like renaming Mt. Denali paired with ICE raids and mass deportations, elimination of DEI initiatives across the board, and the unsanctioned installation of an unelected billionaire, with his hands (and technology) all up in our social programs. It's terrifying, the speed with which all of these things are happening, and it is an affront to the American people, what we've built, and the safety nets we thought were secure.
February, whether the current administration likes it or not, is Black History Month. It is especially important now, more than ever, to lift up our Black neighbors, to learn Black history, to acknowledge America's role in its brutality and our responsibility to repair (as covered within, in Chloe Forbes' piece about racial segregation in Erie), to support Black-owned businesses (like BeBe Design House, in this month's Gem City Style) and Black artists (like Nicholas Cardell Gore, as featured on our cover). King once said, in a 1968 speech, "Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal."
And with economic withdrawal comes economic redirection. We have to continue to work to build Erie up to bravely be a place of refuge, support, encouragement, and fairness. Additionally, we have to look to micro-communities for individual spiritual and financial support. Micro-communities like Erie's thriving poetry scene (covered within by Liz Allen), Erie's diverse art scene (like Erie African Arts and FEED's February slate of events), and Erie's welcoming music, comedy, and theater scenes (like at PACA, Basement Transmissions, and Werner Books and Coffee, all within). Redirecting our dollars and energy away from oppressive, DEI-denying corporations, and more into our own micro-communities is a direct act of support and resistance.
Our cover artist this month, Nicholas Cardell Gore, captures the dichotomy of living in the world today in his striking piece, Saturn Devours His Sun. Although created during COVID, the juxtaposition of rage and optimism has never felt more relevant. Read more from him on this piece and his inspiration below. And hold on to hope, Erie. We've got a long road ahead.
*an abbreviated version of this artist statement was printed in the February 2025 issue
