By S. Mitra Kalita and Sara Lomax
We went public with the idea of URL Media just days after the inauguration of President Biden. That was totally intentional: “We introduce ourselves at a pivotal time in U.S. and global history. We don’t want the next 4 years to look like the last 4–or 400,” we wrote on pre-Elon Musk Twitter.
Yet here we are. Again.
As the founders of a network devoted to the sustainability of Black and Brown media by sharing content, revenues and services, we sat down yesterday to dissect the U.S. presidential election results and talk about the road ahead.
First some context: URL stands for uplift, respect and love. We apply this philosophy to our 35 partners, 13 staff members, countless vendors and contractors. We rest on the trust of and service to communities that our media outlets represent, 27 million strong.
A more conservative electorate fuels President Trump’s victory, which throws in jeopardy some of the pillars we are founded upon: namely, a belief in diversity, equity and inclusion. But we’re also hearing from Black women who reliably turned out for Kamala Harris, even as Latinos and Asians moved further to the right, according to exit polls. That’s understandably prompted reaction like this emblematic tweet: “At least the myth of POC is finally dead; Black people and Black Women specifically we ain’t got no one but us and honestly that’s freeing; I will be selfish and put me and mines first and let the universe take care of the rest.”
Background on us: Sara Lomax is the president of WURD Radio, Philadelphia’s only independently owned Black talk radio station. She is Black and the mother of three sons. S. Mitra Kalita is the co-founder and publisher of Epicenter NYC, founded out of her immigrant Queens neighborhood to help New Yorkers get through the pandemic. She is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and raised in Puerto Rico. She is the mother of two girls. Edited excerpts of their conversation:
S. Mitra Kalita: So it’s been two days now. Sara. I’d love to hear your reaction to Donald Trump being our next president. How are you feeling on Day Two?
Sara Lomax: Honestly, I feel worse today than yesterday. The word I keep coming back to is ‘betrayal.’ Living in Philadelphia, there’s this urge to figure out what went wrong. Everyone’s pointing fingers, saying things like ‘Biden shouldn’t have been pushed out’ or ‘They didn’t spend enough on the ground game.’
But in Philly, which was central to the Pennsylvania strategy, they eventually found their rhythm. On Election Day, they had lines at the polls, Uber vouchers, DJs, door knockers, even people from London helping. But then, seeing things go the other way was just a gut punch. I unplugged from all media, even ours.
Now, it’s starting to feel real. Trump’s doubling down on his rhetoric—racist, anti-Black. A friend of mine, a Black woman, is accidentally on a neighborhood group chat where people are high-fiving about Trump and dragging Kamala Harris. The ugliness is surfacing.
Mitra: I feel that too. Today, the conversations shifted from shock to survival. People I know, especially immigrants, are worried about denaturalization asking things like, “Was he serious about this? Should I renew my passport now?” There’s no time to process; it’s all action. We’re going to have to be translating materials. I know immigration lawyers are meeting. It’s panic-inducing because it feels like we’ll be in this mode for a while.
Sara: The big question I keep hearing is: How serious is he? How much of what he said will he actually do? It’s frightening. We’re from different communities—you from an immigrant background, me from a Black community—but the white supremacist rhetoric and hostility are so real. There’s this feeling of doom because they have the whole government—the White House, Senate, maybe even the House, and judiciary. It feels like there are no guardrails.
Mitra: Yeah. Who will be our guardrails? Independent media? Local leaders? But he’s already talking about going after his opponents. It’s unsettling.
Sara: Agreed. Who’s going to hold him accountable? Will mainstream media? Philly is strongly Democratic, and our governor is solid, but who knows what’s coming?
Mitra: Let’s talk about the mainstream media. How do you think they did?
Sara: I’ve unsubscribed from The Washington Post after their coverage and refusal to endorse. I read The New York Times regularly, but it felt like they legitimized Trump in a way they shouldn’t have. And sure, they made a strong editorial statement right before the election, but is it enough?
The media validated him, and it became a horse race.
Mitra: I think the media covered this race too traditionally. You’re dealing with a cult figure who has massive support that doesn’t read mainstream media, and definitely doesn’t believe it. They’re on Truth Social, and alternative channels.
What I wonder now is how the media, even our own, should cover Trump in his second term. This question of ethics and objectivity versus upholding democracy is real for us because everything we stand for opposes what he represents.
Sara: I think our role will be to serve as a survival guide. Like answering those questions you mention about immigration, for example. It’s about providing the information people need to feel seen and validated because they won’t get that from this administration. We’ll be like a resistance just by relying on truth.
Mitra: That’s a sentiment many respected journalists share—and others are worried about journalists becoming ‘resistance’ and think our role needs to be accountability. I keep coming back to making sure we cover him through the lens of supporting the communities we serve.
Sara: Absolutely. I feel like, as Black women, we’ve always held this democracy together. We’re the conscience of this country, and now we’ll be the ones pushing back.
Mitra: I need to ask you this as a Black woman: What are your thoughts on the lack of solidarity Black people are feeling from other communities of color?
Sara: I feel gutted. Kamala Harris, as a Black woman, represented so much for us. Seeing her dismissed by so many, including Latino men and other groups who broke for Trump, makes you question this idea of Black and brown solidarity. But let’s be clear—the majority of Trump’s support came from white men and women.
Mitra: I see that too. I’ve noticed people questioning alliances and banning terms like BIPOC. It’s a lot to process.
Sara: We have to remember that there are allies in all groups. Many were riding hard for Kamala and are hurting too.
Mitra: So what’s next for us? URL Media was formed out of the racial justice protests of 2020. We’ve seen Roe v. Wade overturned, the affirmative action ban, and now Donald Trump returning as president. What happens to us?
Sara: Honestly, it’s exhausting to always have to fight. But now more than ever, we need to rally support and fortify ourselves. We’re still needed. We’ve always been the conscience of this country, and we’ll continue to be. Black and brown people will bear the brunt, but I think Trump and his team will overplay their hand, and it’ll swing back.
We’re more needed than ever.
Mitra: I agree. I’m clinging to the idea of coalitions being needed to combat white supremacy.
