As a publication based in New York City, we’re proud to be part of a society that was founded on many core aspirational principles, but one that speaks loudly to us is freedom of the press and the related freedom to challenge and question our governments and those in power. One of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, was a publisher who wrote pointed articles against the British Empire, using satire to criticize the secretary of state of the British Colonies. He also decried the mob of Pennsylvania frontier settlers who massacred a group of Susquehannock in Lancaster County in December 1763 and poked fun at an 18th-century witch trial to point out underlying injustices. During his lifetime, Franklin learned about his complicity in the institution of slavery. He enslaved at least seven individuals, named Joseph, Jemima, Peter, King, Othello, George, and Bob, and eventually became a vocal critic of the dehumanizing system, which he realized was one of the original sins of American society. In the figure of Franklin we see a deeply flawed but great individual who challenged himself and society to look at themselves and reassess old prejudices. He represents a symbol of what is possible, and we know society today is just as capable of such transformation — but only with the help of truly independent journalism. What began as a shared dream with publisher Veken Gueyikian just 15 years ago has since blossomed into a platform that has published over 2,500 writers and voices who contribute to what Hyperallergic is today. Each of them, and you, are part of this mission to speak truth to power, but we need your support. If you are able, please join us as a member to support this important work and to ensure we can continue to publish bold, fresh, and diverse voices from art communities around the world. Your membership is an investment in the future of a more sustainable and just art world, one that celebrates the possible while honoring what has come before. By becoming a Hyperallergic Member, we know you believe that art has the power to uplift, challenge, and connect us to ideas and communities bigger than ourselves. For Hyperallergic to continue on this mission to be a catalyst for change, we need your help. — Hrag Vartanian, Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder | 