Jadelyn Holmes, Reagan Carter, Aaliyah Hatchett, Kaelyn Covington, Ras Kebebew

2711 Productions
Professor Graham
4 October 2022
JAC 101
RACKET MAGAZINE

PUBLICATION AUDIENCE
The purpose or "why" of RACKET is to pose as a voice, give representation, and support the
movement of young African-Americans who are devoted to being "loud" in their culture. The target
audience is young, black, entrepreneurs,fashion icons,content creators,& moguls.This magazine is a form
of exposure for all black individuals whose ideas, morals, and lifestyles are looked down upon by society.
RACKET is a safe place for those who aren't afraid to be heard. RACKET is centered on the urban
lifestyle and wonders of Black media and culture. This magazine alters the narrative on things that are
deemed as loud and obnoxious, and embraces the beauty of abnormal entities in the Black community.
The mantra of the magazine is “Who’s the loudest in the culture right now?”

COVER STORY

Halle Bailey:
Halle Bailey has been in the entertainment industry since as early as 2008. Bailey came to fame
early in her teenage years by making an appearance in the Disney movie 'Let It Shine.' Throughout the
beginning years of her career, she was the typical innocent, society-pleasing Black entertainer. As the
years have gone on, and more so within the past two most recent years, Halle Bailey has become a "loud"
role model in the culture.
Bailey is known for her now independent musical career, separate from her sister, and is currently
in the spotlight for her socially controversial role in Disney's new live-action 'Little Mermaid'. Halle
Bailey landed the lead role of Ariel, previously portrayed by a white character. This casting brought
excitement, representation, and a sense of being seen in the culture. To society, Halle's role as Ariel is not
taken well. It is easy to say Halle is causing a RACKET and doing it well.
“I want the little girl in me and the little girls just like me who are watching to know that they’re
special, and that they should be a princess in every single way,” Bailey says
Chloe Bailey:
The Georgia native came to prominence at a young age alongside her younger sister, Halle. The
rise of the dynamic musical duo Chloe x Halle can be attributed to Beyonce who acknowledged them and
later on signed them to her label. Attached to the hip for years, the sisters began gaining solo roles
separate from each other which allowed for them to start creating their own brand. To the sisters, the idea
of separation was seamless, however it opened up the door for backlash and ridicule.
In recent years, Chloe Bailey has grown as a strong solo artist and has plans for her first studio
album to be released soon. Her newfound independence also compelled her to create her own Instagram
account where she is most active. On this platform, she graciously decided to use it to promote body
positivity and for her followers to feel comfortable in their own skin. After numerous posts, however, that
can be seen as sensual and “out there,” the backlash on the artist was profound. It’s typical for women,
especially black women, to be condemned when they show off their bodies, however, Bailey stands firm
in how she portrays herself and is unashamed for being happy with her body. Accepting the role as a
public figure almost guarantees moments of ridicule, but Bailey is more than okay with causing a racket
as she continues to thrive.

Potential pitfalls/how to overcome:

It doesn’t appeal to every reader, it could be filled with heavy opinions by the writers/editors,
incorrect portrayal of black stories in our magazine. Have each piece go through a screening before being
published so it is free of bias and heavy opinion, fill the writers room with black voices who are aware
and educated on the subject matters. Though it may be directed towards black audiences, statista. Com
stated that African Americans read an average of 5.7 print magazine issues per month, higher than the
national average of 4.5 issues a month for all American adults.

Telfeezy Frenzy:

Our story about Telfar will be centered around the brand, the movement, and the cultural impacts
of a bag designed with Black people in mind. The brand began with humble beginnings from as a thought
dreamt up by a Liberian American queer man, and this aspect will be greatly explored in our piece.
Additionally, the marvel that Telfar turned into over the course of two years will be a focus of the story.

The movement and cultural implications of Telfar is one of the most noteworthy. Not only has the Telfar
bag became a staple for Black girls of all backgrounds, but it has set the framework for all other luxury
Black brands to follow. The piece about Telfar will be surrounded by an interview with the designer
himself, Telfar Clemens. RACKET Magazine will contact Mr. Clemens’s team through our PR
department with a well-written, concise email outlining our reasoning for requesting this interview, a
summary of the article, and the benefits of working with our company.

Letting Go of Black Girl Luxury:

The ideology of Black Girl Luxury is rooted on the basis of capitalism. The movement gives the
image of stress free and carefree living, but when is that actually reality? This lifestyle encourages
expense, looking a certain way that could lead into crippling debt, body negativity, and inadequate self
awareness. This term is counterproductive in the way that luxury should not be boxed up. Luxury is open
to all people black, white feme., masc., young and old. Black Women have been on top naturally. This
concept has been made to encourage fabulous daily life, but it is becoming a little divisional. Black
Women should not have to follow a certain lifestyle to be designated as luxurious. Black Girl Luxury
stems from the action of putting your self care first, having expensive taste, and having a heightened
standard of living... while black and female. The movement known as "Black Girl Luxury" (BGL) has
risen in recent years on platforms such as Twitter, Tik Tok, and Instagram. Now don't get me wrong I
understand that there has been a saddening stigma that black women are meant to struggle but this trend
seems dangerous. Success should never have a limit. I don't want to make a post on Instagram at brunch
with my homegirls and have to have black girl luxury with my mimosa. I love good living but don't want
to be subjected to a lifestyle instead of just... living.

Rayquan Smith: The King Of NIL

“King of NIL”, Rayquan Smith

Rayquan Smith, a dual sport athlete at Norfolk State University. Smith has been at NSU since
2019, and has continued to grow his brand. Before signing NIL deals Universities would profit off of their
athletes without them getting paid. What does NIL stand for? NIL stands for name, image, and likeliness.
After NIL deals were implemented in NCAA Rayquan of NSU capitalized off of the new policies in
place. Smith would soon sign 70 NIL deals gaining the nickname “King of NIL”. Smith attends a
neighboring university making him accessible at any time off the field of course.

ADVERTISERS

1. TELFAR
 2. MAYBELLINE
3. OFF-WHITE
4. MEGAN RENEE
5. PLVYCO
6. BYREDO
7. HONIFA
8. CISE
9. THE HONEYPOT COMPANY
10. BLACK GIRL SUNSCREEN

COMPETITORS
Essence: As one of the only magazines surrounding Black culture, it would automatically
be a competitor. However, RACKET is new, fresh, and more centered towards a younger gender-neutral
audience while Essence is more focused on the older generation, specifically women.

Vibe: Vibe was once one of the biggest magazines regarding Black culture and music, but
it lost popularity as print magazines went out of fashion. Vibe has lost its flare as the cutting-edge
magazine for the culture, but RACKET will take its place.
Vogue: While Vogue is primarily a fashion magazine, RACKET includes all aspects of the
culture. The newest trends, hot brands, up and coming artists, and fashion will all be covered in our
magazine. Also, while Vogue has diversified over the last few years, it is still a predominately white
company, but RACKET is Black run and enjoyed by a mostly Black audience.

HISTORY
Ebony was the first Black-oriented magazine in the United States to attain national
circulation. Ebony was founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson of Chicago, whose first publishing
venture was the pocket-size Negro Digest (1942). The Crisis magazine is the official publication
of the NAACP and the nation's oldest African American publication. Essence is a monthly
lifestyle magazine targeting a Black female audience. Its Essence Music Festival is among the
largest annual gatherings of Black musical talent. Its owner, The Hollingsworth Group (later
changed to Essence Communications), was one of the largest Black-owned companies in the
U.S. in the 1970s. The company was later sold to Time Inc., but as of 2018 Essence is again a
fully Black-owned publication.