by Stacy Jackson
4 August 2024
Thanks to a partnership with LGBTQ+ media company Q.Digital, the new Native Son Channel will tell stories of black gay and queer men.
Native Son and LGBTQ+ media company Q.Digital has officially launched a new content channel: “The Native Son” Channel, led by renowned journalist and Native Son founder Emil Wilbekin.
With the August 2 launch, Native Son will become a leading platform dedicated to telling Black gay and queer men's stories through Q.Digital's LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment channel Queerty. According to a press release, Wilbekin will work alongside Queerty's editorial team to produce news, listicles, opinion pieces and video content covering politics, lifestyle, culture and entertainment.
“We are so excited to officially introduce our Native Son community to the world through this partnership with Q.Digital and with this new platform on Queerty,” Wilbekin said. “There will be a great mix of engaging video content, strong visual components, fun social elements, and most importantly, powerful storytelling.” According to Wilbekin, this alliance with Q.Digital supports Native Son's core mission of serving the Black gay male community, and the platforms have launched a new Queerty Native Son email newsletter.
The launch of the Native Son Channel also celebrates the centennial of the birth of James Baldwin, author of Notes of a Native Son and the inspiration behind Wilbekin's organization. To mark Baldwin's 100th birthday, the new content channel released a special digital cover story by Darnell A. Moore paying tribute to the late civil rights leader and celebrated author. “No one embodies Native Son more than James Baldwin, and we are thrilled to honor his legacy,” Wilbekin said.
Scott Gatz, founder and CEO of Q.Digital, believes his media company will “achieve unprecedented scale and audience growth for Native Son content – and ensure these important voices are heard across our network of over 11 million readers per month.” Gatz's company spearheaded sales of the content channel, which worked closely with Native Son for its prestigious awards show, the Native Son's Awards. As previously reported by BLACK COMPANYThe organization's annual awards ceremony on June 12, hosted by former CNN anchor Don Lemon, honored black queer men for their achievements and contributions to society.
Upcoming major events include the Black Gay Leadership Forum on September 19 and Native Son 101, scheduled for December 7, later in 2024.
Native Son's new partnership empowers underrepresented media and is significant as attacks on DEI efforts become more frequent across the country. According to Queerty, Wilbekin co-hosted a three-hour virtual call on July 25 that included Black gay and queer men and allies to support Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential bid.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff said: “As for this wonderful, beautiful community of black gay men, they have always been by your side, with you, having your back and will always have your back.”
It is so important and critical that we are able to mobilize people, connect them and have effective conversations about our steps towards change.
Now is not the time for pettiness, but for persistence in your presence.
Make sure your voice is heard. For you, for us and for our future 🫶🏾 pic.twitter.com/rowhYIp3AE
— Jeremy Pope (@jrmypope) July 26, 2024
The launch of the Native Son Channel is an extension of Wilbekin's efforts to serve the needs of the black gay community. According to the Native Son website, the organization uses social media to connect with its audience and currently has over 69,000 followers across Instagram, x (formerly known as Twitter), and Facebook.
RELATED CONTENT: Kevin Maxen becomes first openly gay American coach