December 27, 2022

Surprise Reckon readers! Just because we're off this week doesn't mean we still don't have something to share with you. Our reporters worked really hard this year and put out a lot of great stories. It's entirely possible that you missed a few of them. So in the spirit of holiday countdowns, here's the Best of Reckon: 2022 Edition.

--Aria

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Why Telfar bags are the new HBCU "Material Girl" staple (April)

"It's not for you. It's for everyone." Including college students! The attainable luxury brand has exploded in popularity over the last few years, and HBCU fashionistas are among those looking to make a statement with the bold colored purses on their arms.

Read more about how Telfar is driving student engagement on one HBCU campus.

Why the claim that Deion Sanders donated half his salary to JSU is a prime lie (December)

It's been a few weeks, but some college football fans are still reeling at the news of Deion Sanders' announcing his move from Jackson State University to the University of Colorado-Boulder. In his wake, Sanders left a team with its best season record ever. But he also left behind a lot of speculation about the financial state of the program.

Read our Editor-in-Chief R.L. Nave's breakdown of how a prime time lie grew legs.

The Southern guide to abortion rights in a post-Roe America (June)

Can you still get an abortion in the South? In short: The answer is clear as mud. In the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, people needed answers about what the abortion rights landscape would look like in the South.

And Reckon's Anna Claire Vollers and Abbey Crain delivered. We will remain on top of this beat in the new year as activists, legislators and judges restructure the shape of reproductive justice in this country.

Meet the lesbian who left the evangelical church and found radical love (November)

Jeanna Kadlec was a good, Bible-study-attending, youth-group-participating, pastor-marrying Christian girl. Until she realized she was a lesbian.

What followed was divorce, a departure from Christianity and a memoir called Heretic.

Tennesee's anti-homeless "public camping" law, broken down (June)

As Tennessee's affordable housing problems worsened, lawmakers responded by punishing homelessness, making it a felony to camp on state and local property, including public parks and highway underpasses.

Reckon's Anna Beahm broke down what it all means and who is fighting back.

Boston midwife builds Alabama's first freestanding birth center (March)

In the tiny town of Gainesville, AL (population: 163), Stephanie Mitchell wants to bring more options to expectant parents beyond traditional hospital birth. Enter the freestanding birth center. Alabama only recently legalized out-of-hospital midwives, so Mitchell knew she had an uphill battle ahead of her.

"I was like, do y’all not have women here? You deserve to have a birth center as an option.” 

Black joy quilts: Sewing the future, stitching the past (December)

With much of the country in a deep freeze right now, you may find yourself reaching for the nearest quilt. Why not also take a moment to read about the history and future of Black American quilters, from Faith Ringgold to Cynthia H. Catlin and Bisa Butler?

“Quilts have carried the hopes and dreams of Black families across generations.”

Alabama isn't telling 300k people their voting rights have been restored (July)

What is a "crime of moral turpitude"? Until 2017 in the state of Alabama, that was up to local government officials to decide when people tried to register to vote. What was considered moral turpitude in the eyes of one county election official may not have mattered to another in the county next door. That degree of opacity led many otherwise eligible citizens to believe their voting rights were gone forever, and the state did little to fix that.

Now, activists at an organization called Return My Vote are trying to get the word out and get Alabamians back on the voter rolls.

Brazil's new president makes saving the Amazon a top priority at COP27 (November)

The world's largest rainforest is on a dangerous path, but Brazil's new president, Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva, is looking to turn things around. During an impassioned speech at the UN's climate conference in Egypt, da Silva (more commonly known as "Lula") said, "We have to prove that a standing tree has more value than a fallen one.”

“There is no climate security for the world without a protected Amazon."

How homophobic disinformation almost canceled Pride in a Tennessee town (December)

Progress almost always begets retaliation. In the small city of Jackson, Tennessee, homophobic and transphobic disinformation about drag queens threatened to derail a local Pride celebration.

Read Becca Andrews' investigation on how moral panic and conservative talking points roiled a West Tennessee city and how local activists fought back.

How a Black manga brand is closing the imagination gap (December)

Anime and manga have become staples of Black joy in recent years. From Megan Thee Stallion's music videos to Thundercat's on-stage callouts to Lizzo's cosplay, Black anime fans are seeing themselves reflected a lot in wider culture. Manga publishing, however, has lagged behind. Luckily, publishers like Frederick Jones of Durham, NC-based Saturday AM are trying to change that.

“Manga cannot become this popular and, then at the same time, send the message to Black and brown kids that they can’t be the hero."

8 Black and Jewish icons you should know (December)

Hanukkah began on December 18 and will end on the evening of December 26. In honor of the Festival of Lights, Daric Cottingham of our Black Joy team spotlighted 8 Black and Jewish icons.

There's something in there for everyone, including foodies and Broadway fans.

That's a wrap on 2022! Stay as warm as possible these next few weeks. To put it mildly, it's frosty out there.

Thanks for reckoning with me,

Aria

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