Meet Anti-Racism Activist Tyshca Nicole

Hello friends,

When I put out the call to learn about the work of more Black activists, Tyshca Nicole came my way, and I’m so glad she did. Her approach resonated with me in a big way, as she’s also using her writing talent to make change. Please meet Tyshca…

Tyshca, what made you become an anti-racism activist?

I was raised in a family of activists. My grandparents marched with MLK and my parents were members of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party in the 70s. I grew up knowing that if I ever want to see change in the world, I can't sit back and let others do it for me. Writing has always been my tool and I decided to pursue journalism to use my voice and my pen as a weapon.

What anti-racist cause are you most passionate about, and why?

All of them! Anytime people are discriminated against for their race, religion, sexual preference, disability etc., I can't stand for it. We all are affected when others are persecuted.

What form does your activism take?

My form of activism takes place in the form of my magazine. I created the first Black women run magazine in the state of Arizona after the death of Ahmaud Arbery. When he was killed, one of the first things that mainstream media did was bring up his criminal past, as if that was the justification for his murder. As a Black journalist, I feel that it's my duty to change the narrative of how the Black community is seen in the media. In order to do that, I tell our stories.

What response have you had to your activism?

So far, it's all been positive. I get a lot of support from our community and allies.

In terms of anti-racism content, which are your top three articles?

Dear Ally: What Your Black Friends Want You to Know 

I work as a senior editor and producer for this outlet. One of the things I love about where I work is that we are motivating the next generation of journalists and content creators to amplify their voice to speak on issues that matter to them. This article came at such a pivotal time during the BLM movement.

Black men are Still Being Misrepresented in the Media 

This piece was written by one of my contributors of Arizona Coffea Magazine. This was written one year after the death of George Floyd and we noticed during research that when you looked up Black men in search engines, violence, death, or incarceration were the majority of the stories that raised. This was alarming and confirmed that we are on the right track, but realized that we have a huge job ahead of us in changing the narrative.

No More White Saviors... 

I appreciate this article because I felt that for the first time the Black community started to tell our allies what we need from them as opposed to what they felt our community needed.

Share one anti-racism article written by someone else that really made an impact on you.

Non Black People of Color Need to Start Having Conversations About the Anti-Blackness in Our Communities

The Black community has been the catalyst for all movements across this country. Without the Civil Rights Movement, other communities of color would be dealing with Jim Crow and segregation. I believe that we always take the burden of the issue, only to be left alone once the fight is over and other communities of color reap the benefits of our fight. This article puts accountability back on other communities of color to stand in solidarity with us and not use our struggle for their gain. Many of those communities aren't even accepting of us, yet, we fight for their rights. This light needed to be shed and sparked conversations that needed to be had.

In relation to racism, what is your vision for the future?

I believe that all communities of color are going to come together and realize that we are stronger together. We are not in competition with each other and with collaboration, we can go further as a people.

Folx, I’m so inspired by Tyshca’s activism and I hope you are too. You can follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram to learn more.

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© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2023. All Rights Reserved.

Cover photo courtesy of Canva.

I am an anti-racism educator and activist, Co-Founder of Mission Equality, the author of “I’m Tired of Racism”, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast.