Submissions must be news that ALL of us can relate to on a collective basis. Nothing personal will be allowed that doesn't fit the "Public Service" mode. Also, the quantity of commentaries will be limited at this time. The preferred content is news happening now and/or info that is benevolent and is beneficial to know. I would also like info about heroes and heroines: brothers and sisters performing significant deeds but receiving little praise. I’d also appreciate info concerning non-Blacks who are champions of Black, human-rights and/or ecological causes. Reports about commercial businesses that have progressive policies toward our people are welcome as well.

A list of some general examples of acceptable news and info:

1) Current Events (locally): Any significant events (especially those reported by the local people) occurring anywhere in the world concerning Black people and/or the downtrodden. Also, significant events affecting humanity in general--human rights, ecology, socioeconomics, etc.

2) Criminal Justice (locally): Mistreatment of prisoners, corruption in your police department, arrests involving an inordinate number of Blacks or other members of the downtrodden sector, enforcement targeted at Blacks and the downtrodden, new trends aimed at targeting Blacks and the downtrodden, unusual encounters and happenings concerning law enforcement, status of Black law-enforcement officers and personnel, significant trial cases concerning Blacks or Black-related matters. (Also, see #7.)

3) Useful Info (globally): Info on how to counter racism or the effects of racism, beneficial Web sites, treatments for physical ailments, employment, fraud alerts, computer protection, lowest prices for particular products, new trends affecting Blacks that one can prosper from or make progress with, opportunities designed to help Blacks or that Blacks can take advantage of (including "EOE" jobs and the like), creative suggestions designed to elevate the whole ebon race or at least a significant portion of it.

4) *Gatherings and Projects: Marches and protests, economic summits, political conventions and gatherings, business networking events, gatherings of any type designed to help the Black Community and/or the downtrodden in general. This magazine is the perfect place to announce any new projects you or your group have designed to solve social and socioeconomic problems plaguing society. *I would prefer it if the organizations themselves submitted their own announcements.

5) Social Issues (locally): Racism, neighborhood gentrification, public perception (Is the pizza man afraid to come into your specific neighborhood?), significant and/or unusual happenings concerning contact with other races, Blacks and non-Blacks working jointly, significant changes or incidents in social programs, social-program status (Are certain programs in trouble where you live?), significant statistical changes in your city or community, economic exploitation targeted at Blacks or the downtrodden.

6) Politics (locally): New and dynamic Black and/or progressive political groups or movements, new candidates, new alliances, general sentiment on the issues in your community, political rivalry and strife, new laws and issues, new bills.

7) Public Service (globally): The tracking of death row deadlines and capital-case controversies; the tracking of exculpatory evidence that could possibly exonerate any particular prisoner; names, photos and contact info of Black and/or underprivileged people needing organ transplants; missing persons—especially for children; stolen goods—organizations and churches suffering theft may list the item, brand, and serial number; charitable item-donations—entities wishing to donate items to charitable Black and/or downtrodden entities will receive a free listing of their items; publicity that helps any individual or group of individuals deal with a critical situation that is of a social, and not personal, nature.

8) Black Accomplishments (globally): New inventions, any other significant accomplishments in any field at any level.

All news must be written in reporter style, describing a new and/or current incident, event or situation. It’s OK to personalize it as long as its purpose is to inform everyone of what’s going on. Pure commentaries will not be allowed as yet. They will come later with expansion. Any kind of commentary literature included in the submissions must not distract from the main purpose of providing new information to readers.

Critical news is news that:

1) can stir activism to save people from unjust capital or severe punishment.

2) can lead to activism that prevents an excessively dangerous threat from rendering exceedingly great harm to the Black community or humanity in general.

3) exposes an excessively detrimental situation afflicting our people or other victims in particular locales or in multiple locales.

4) publicizes a major project, event or action that will change the very course of the Black and/or human direction.

News of mediate and moderate concerns are simply all submissions that are of less and lesser magnitude than the above. Submitting articles in multiple sizes allows you to be your own editor, should I choose to reduce your word limit. Preferably, use a word processor program that contains Word Count. The title and the contact info are not considered part of the word limit, only the body of the article.

Useful info that I deem particularly beneficial will not bear a word limit, simply because it can be published in parts in subsequent editions. Its publishing space will be limited only by its level of benefit to the readers.

Currently, there are four submission categories available: 1) What’s Happening (current news and events), 2) Events/Networking (meetings, gatherings, and people seeking to work with other people), 3) Jobs (available jobs advertised), and 4) Useful Info (self-explanatory).

If readers want to receive news articles in their entirety, the readers will either be able to contact the writers directly or the Run will receive their questions and relay them to the writers, who may then answer the readers if they so choose.

An example of the preferred writing format for submissions is: "Racial Profiling Banned in Alabama." The body is 200 words, using Word Count. This article would be listed under "What’s Happening."

Racial Profiling Banned in Alabama

The head of Alabama's law enforcement agency has formally banned racial profiling by state troopers, adding a new procedure for reviewing motorists' complaints. The policy prohibits troopers from stopping motorists based solely on ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, age or cultural group, and mandates annual training. "This policy clearly states that such actions will not be tolerated," Public Safety Director Mike Coppage said. Coppage's move, mirroring actions by other states, drew surprise and praise from black legislators who had expressed concerns about racial profiling.

Democratic state Sen. Charles Steele, state president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said he was surprised the department didn't have a formal policy earlier. "But I commend them for bringing this to light," he said. Democratic state Rep. Alvin Holmes said the policy might help erase the tarnished image state troopers have carried since civil rights clashes in Selma in 1965. "To see a new Public Safety director come in and take a position is refreshing," Holmes said. Racial profiling by law enforcement gained national attention after a 1998 shooting on the New Jersey Turnpike in which two white troopers fired on a van occupied by four minority men, wounding three.

Contact info: (listed here).

Notice that only the main words in the title are capitalized. Unnecessary capitalization is also avoided in the main body and contact info. This saves space. Give all submissions a title.

I would also recommend using Spell Check. If submissions come in to me quickly and furiously, I may or may not have time to provide adequate proofreading. So, help me out as much as you possibly can. I’m a lone gun in the media war.

Another example:

Cincy Settlement - Boycott Continues

The CBUF is proud that our work concerning racial-profiling lawsuits has resulted in some justice for the families of those killed and victimized by police. The settlement was $4,500,000 for the sixteen claimants. Reverend Damon Lynch, III stated, "We are pleased with the amount of the settlement if the families and individual claimants are satisfied with the settlement and all indications are that they are."

According to the ACLU, "the global settlement fund of $4,500,000 is far and away the largest racial profiling police misconduct settlement in the country." In the past in Cincinnati, settlements ranged from as little as $300 to as much as $700,000 for police misconduct.

Dwight Patton, Vice President of the CBUF, emphatically declared, "This is one for us and now the city needs to get on with meeting the other demands. They have yet to deal with any of the economic issues." The CBUF and other organizations in the Cincinnati Boycott Council do not believe this action, although significant, is enough to end the boycott. The other demands, in particular, the economic related demands, need to be addressed since economic issues under gird most of the problems in the black community.

Contact info: Jane Doe * (contact info here).

Use ebonrun@yahoo.com for all purposes other than publishable submissions.

It's best to enclose a postage-paid envelope if you send photos and want them returned.