In 2007, Black Star Magazine rose from the ashes of its predecessor, The Fire This Time, a paper that emerged at Emory in December 1990. The first issue of The Fire, created by journalist-novelist-critic-television personality, Touré, was a modest four page newsletter. Touré served as the first Editor-in-Chief of this publication that alluded to James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time with its title and labeled itself as “Emory’s Black Student Newspaper.” The staff, which was comprised of a group of writers that called themselves “the Media Assassins,” focused the publication around the core principle of self-determination and with this in mind, held that The Fire would be “created, guided, written, directed, produced, and (most importantly) funded by African Americans.” The publication kept a steady blaze through its years of existence but eventually The Fire had to be put out in the 2002-2003 academic year due to financial woes.

Now in 2009, the award-winning Black Star Magazine returns as the mouthpiece for Emory’s black community as well as other under-represented minority groups. It is the print manifestation of a multi-faceted voice that has sometimes been absent or skewed in other media. The allusions of the publication’s title range from Marcus Garvey’s shipping line to a former BET campaign to hip-hop stars Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

Black Star Magazine seeks to: promote dialogue, raise awareness and voice concerns, uplift, and create effective solutions to community problems as they arise. The magazine is open to submissions and support from any individual or group regardless of (the social construct of) race.

-- 2008-2009 Editor-in-Chief, Torie Michelle Anderson
with Co-Founder and former Managing Editor, Hamzat Sani, ‘07C