WayMaker Journal’s annual Black Family Issue is on the way for 2025. This year, we aim to create an issue that feels like a warm plate and a hand to hold, drawing from stories of Black hope that our community has used to navigate through trying times. A hope that is practiced daily and passed down from generation to generation.
Send us pitches that show how families preserve and protect memory—through archives, oral histories, quilts, playlists, community museums, and everyday rituals—and how those acts fuel hope now. Pitch ideas under A Gift of Hope and clearly select one department: Holiday, Health & Wellness, Arts & Culture, Next Gen, or Faith & Purpose.
Compensation: This is a paid assignment; final rates will be discussed upon acceptance based on scope and format.
Pitch window: Open now through Friday, September 12, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Suggested lengths (pick one)
- Feature (digital longform): 1,500–1,750 words (max)
- Department piece (service/essay/profile): 600–900 words
- Q&A: 900–1,200 words (department)
Please do not exceed the cap for your chosen format
How to pitch (≤ 350 words)
- Subject:
A GIFT OF HOPE – [Department] – [Your Headline] - What + why now + how: the heart of the story and your approach.
- Access: Please specify the level of access you have to the individuals or resources you plan to cover (e.g., on-the-record interviews, archives, family materials, events).
- Format & target length (from the list above).
- Two clips (or note lived expertise) + 50-word bio.
Send to christina@waymakerjournal.com.
What we’re looking for
- Hope you can touch: plans, practices, playlists, plates, policies.
- Black joy centered: no trauma-porn; bring light and nuance.
- Community-first POV: people, organizations, community leaders doing the work—we got us.
- Receipts & resources: actionable takeaways for readers.
Gentle no-thank-yous
- Generic listicles you could Google in a minute
- Stories that center harm without agency or repair
- Previously published work
We can’t wait to see how your story makes hope a gift we keep giving. 🖤
