LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Evita Colon says Black History Month is an excellent time for her magazine to help amplify the voices of Black people, however, she seeks to put a microphone to these shouts every day.
Lancaster's Blk Voices Magazine, operated by three Black women, is a quarterly magazine that provides a platform for Black people to express themselves through creativity for healing.
The community can submit essays, poetry, photography and stories, among many other works of art.
According to a 2019 survey by Lee & Low Books, the Black and African-American community represent 5% of publishing and review journal staff and literary agents.
"We're not given the space and opportunity to feel exactly how we feel in the moment," said Colon, founder of the publication.
The magazine, launched in December 2020, is a part of the organization Speak to my Soul. The first issue focused on the theme of legacy.
The second issue, set to release in April, centers on impact.
“I want people to pull from different parts of their lives whether its mental health, whether it’s relationships, whether its a job or a profession,” said Colon. "What impacts you?"
Colon says she is searching for authentic stories and isn't setting any boundaries around the work.
" I don’t want people to look at it from a journalist standpoint," said Colon. "I want it to feel real."
Colon says Black people especially need a creative outlet for release after the nation's racial reckoning during the summer of 2020.
“I want Black people specifically to feel seen and heard and feel like we’re not alone in this process and in this journey of life," said Colon.
You can submit your work to Blk Voices Magazine, here.