A Conversation With Donnie — The Reckoning On this podcast episode Johnnie Kornegay chats with Singer, Songwriter, Producer and Arranger Donnie  about his album The American Mythology , and his personal journey to liberation. This conversation was taped on June 20, 2016.

" I am gay, and, for a long time, it took me a while to say that in an interview and feel comfortable, because I was openly gay and proud, but still hated myself because of the effect of religion ..." Donnie from 2016 in conversation with @jayrayisthename.com

The Last Closet: Reflecting On My Experience Inside of the Football Locker Room — The Reckoning When I was about 11 years old, my parents suspected I might be gay, and they decided to do something about it. 

"My mother and my late father wanted to protect me from a country that was unkind to Black boys, and cruel to Black boys who acted gay.” - Joseph Williams

Read the article: www.thereckoningmag.com/the-reckonin...

#BlackMen #Sports #BlackMasculinity

Deadline Approaching: 2026 CNP Media Fund Applications The Fund will provide mini-grants to media organizations to build their capacity to tell more stories about the impact of HIV on vulnerable communities. CNP will provide up to 12 grants, with most grant awards being between $10,000 and $20,000. The 2026 grant period will begin on April 1, 2026 and end on December 15, 2026. Grant partners will be expected to publish/produce between four (4) and six (6) stories during the grant period. The number of stories that grant partners will be expected to publish/produce will depend on each individual grant award. Please note that CNP expects deep reporting for these stories. The medium used for the stories can be written (print or online) and/or audio (podcast or radio). CNP expects to have a diverse grantee cohort creating stories across media types.

Just a brief reminder to submit your application for the CNP Media Fund by 5PM ET on January 30, 2026.

mailchi.mp/counternarra...

Do you want to learn more about the 2026 CNP Media Fund? Join us for an information session on Wednesday, January 14th at 2:30 PM ET. Visit bit.ly/cnpmediainfo26 to register.

The CNP Media Fund will provide mini-grants to media organizations to tell more stories about the impact of HIV.

CNP would like to thank the #CNPTribe, partners and community for your support and incredible work this year. We realize that, with all of the noise, the work of shifting narratives must with done with care, vigor, and intention. We remain inspired and committed! Thanks for a great year!

Archbishop Carl Bean on Faith, Music, and HIV Activism — The Reckoning Recorded in January 2021, Archbishop Carl Bean, spiritual leader, HIV activism pioneer, and the voice behind 1977’s “I Was Born This Way,” recounts his journey from gospel stages and Motown to founding Unity Fellowship and ministering through the HIV crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. It’s a candid, joy

For National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (#NFHAAD), CNP has released a 2021 conversation between CNP's @jayrayisthename.com and Archbishop Carl Bean. In the conversation, Archbishop Bean discusses spirituality, his HIV activism, and the song "I Was Born This Way" in his own words. #CNPTribe

Malcolm-Jamal Warner: Redefining Black Boyhood — The Reckoning Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s portrayal of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show redefined Black boyhood on television. Through Warner’s work, generations of Black boys, from all backgrounds, found permission to be complex and unapologetically themselves.

“Theo’s humanity, his flaws, and his grounded sense of self were universal. I saw a version of myself in him, a Black boy trying to figure things out in a world that had already decided who I was supposed to be.”

www.thereckoningmag.com/the-reckonin...

The Trial of Kaytranada When Grammy-winning producer Kaytranada faced online backlash over his dating preferences, it spotlighted the complex pressures Black men face regarding who they date. Writer, Joshua Alston examines how public policing of private lives not only flattens individual identity ...

Read "The Trial of Kaytranada" by Joshua Alston on CNP's The Reckoning.

Today is our Deputy Director for Strategy and Impact's birthday! Join us in wishing @jayrayisthename.com a wonderful and restful personal holiday!

#CNPTribe #HappyBirthday

Want to know what's happening in the CNP universe? The best way to do that is by joining our email list. Sign up today!

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Black Dandyism and the Crisis Among Black Men—A Call for Change Beyond Fashion — The Reckoning As Black dandyism takes center stage, writer Eric Paulk explores the tradition's roots while calling for real change to address the mental health, education, and economic struggles plaguing Black men today.

#Blackdandyism goes beyond fashion - it's resistance, identity, and cultural pride. Writer Eric Paulk challenges us to recognize that style alone can't solve the systemic challenges facing Black men today.

bit.ly/cnpdandy25

#MetGala2025

CNP is excited to announce our 2025 Narrative Leadership Institute (NLI). The NLI trains on various aspects of storytelling to advance social change. Training is organized into “labs” and covers various storytelling topics. Applications are due by May 18th: bit.ly/25cnpcli

#CNPTribe #CNPNLI

CNP is hosting an open house for you to learn more about our Narrative Leadership Institute for Summer 2025. CNP hosts the NLI to provide training around various aspects of storytelling in the service of social justice.

RSVP: bit.ly/25nliopenhouse

#NarrativeChange #SocialJustice #CNPTribe