DOWNLOAD: THE VOICES [THE MAGAZINE]
VOICES is a community essay project–created by The Cheats Movement. The goal was simple: to highlight community voices that reflect the time we’re living in.
2020 presented challenges that we’d never seen before and our community needed safe places to express their feelings and process their emotions. The Cheats Movement (blog) provided a place for reflection and critical thought. A digital community where there are no wrong answers: no wrong essays. The community submitted essays on race, protest, COVID-19, relationships, leadership, just about anything you could imagine. The only guidance was that your essay had to reflect these unique times and come from your vantage point (first-person).
Over a six-month period, the Cheats Movement collected approximately 40 essays and published 26 in Series I. In addition, The Cheats Movement published over 40 amazing photography essays from 32 photographers that were capturing the energy of 2020 in real-time. The street photography work presented by these brave individuals deserves your admiration and, frankly, they deserve journalistic and artistic awards.
As the founder of the Cheats Movement, I’m humbled that so many people would trust the blog with their words and images. I am honored to partner with Richmond Grid and Bizhan Khodabandeh to highlight these phenomenal community members. And I hope you will consider submitting work for Series II launching in 2022. #WESEEIT
SCROLL DOWN TO READ ALL OF THE VOICES ESSAYS!
Photography by Dave Parrish – Graphic Design by DJ Mentos
VOICES is a community essay project – presented by The Cheats Movement. The goal is simple: Do you have something to say about the time we’re living in? Well, here is your chance to say it. The Cheats Movement is giving you an opportunity for critical thought. There are no wrong answers: no wrong essays. You can submit an essay on race, protest, COVID-19, parenting, leadership, just about anything you like. Our only guidance is that your essay reflects these unique times and that the perspective comes from your vantage point.
If you would like to join this project by submitting an essay, please email TheCheatsMovement@gmail.com.
Now, let the essays begin! Every essay will be posted on this page and on The Cheats Movement home page. We encourage you to share and comment on each essay.
001 – “REVISING REVISIONISM: BEYOND THE LOST CAUSE
002 – “SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE ILLUSION OF WORK”
003 – “THE PRESIDENT IS KILLING US AND IT’S A TYPE OF NEO-GENOCIDE”
005 – WHITE SUPREMACY GAVE US POVERTY: END IT BY MAKING RICHMOND INVESTIBLE
006 – RESPECTFULLY RETURN WHAT’S NOT YOURS
007 – THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN HELP US IS US
008 – THE NEW RICHMOND BUSY BEING BORN
009 – IT ONLY TOOK A PANDEMIC FOR ME TO DISCOVER MY TRUE LOVE
RAYMOND PIERRE HYLTON, PH.D & KIMBERLY A. MATTHEWS, PH.D
011 – FINDING JESUS IN THE TEAR GAS
013 – A LETTER OF HOPE TO MY CITY
014 – NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS
016 – “OTHER” IS NOT RACE, DO YOU SEE ME NOW
017 – WITH EYES WIDE-OPEN, MY FIGHT FOR BLACK LIVES EVOLVES DAILY
018 – DIFFERENT PEOPLE. DIFFERENT LIES. SAME TITLES.
019 – LET’S FACE IT, PEOPLE ARE CALLING FOR REFORMS, WHAT WE NEED IS A REVOLUTION
020 – PRAISE THE LIVING – RAISE THE DEAD: AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR BELOVED YOUNGINS AT THE FRONT LINE
021 – WE HAVE TO FIX THE ROOTS
022 – UNDER THE SHADOW OF LOOKING BACK, LET’S RE-IMAGINE MONUMENT AVENUE
024 – WE ARE FIGHTING FOR MANY ISSUES, POLICE BRUTALITY WAS JUST THE BRICK PLACED ON THE GAS PEDAL”
025 – F*CK CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: A GLOBAL LEGACY OF IMPERIALISM, ANTI-BLACKNESS, WHITE SUPREMACY
I was in the class you talked in today and I wanted to know if I could participate in the essay project. You said you would love it if someone from my age group shared my story.