Letter from the Editor // Fall 2016

The following feature appears in the Fall 2016 issue of Medley Magazine.

 

 

Dear Reader,

 

The morning after the election, I canceled the editorial meeting that was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. I spent most of the day scrolling through Twitter and reading people’s reactions. Somewhere along the line, I retweeted a jarring image. It placed Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s election parties side by side.

To the left of the image, white men, dressed in red hats and red ties, smile and cheer. To the right, a brown woman wraps her arms around a white friend. Below them, an Asian-American boy pouts. Joey Marion, our Creative Director, sat next to me when the image popped up. He pointed to the right of the image, quickly noting the racial and ethnic diversity. “That’s what America looks like,” he said. That’s what Medley looks like, I thought.

After I took some time to heal and reflect, I scheduled another meeting. In between edits, the team experienced a range of emotions. Together, we cried and laughed, but most importantly, we listened to one another. Those couple of hours reminded me why Medley is so important.

You can read our mission statement, but in plain words, Medley Magazine respects, represents, and embraces cultural differences. Unless we do so, hateful rhetoric and violence will continue to rise across our country. So whether we explore our local barbershop (page 10), tour the city’s cemetery (page 6), or attend a feminist festival (page 17), we strive to provoke thoughtful conversations and build an inclusive community. Ultimately, no matter who you are, we want you here.

Victoria Rodriguez

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