BlackTold 33 Dynamic Essays from Andscape

A collection of the best essays and articles that have been published on Andscape (formerly The Undefeated)—curated by Steve Reiss, Andscape’s Executive Editor of Culture and Enterprise, and featuring an introduction by Raina Kelley, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief.

BlackTold: 33 Dynamic Essays from Andscape, is a collection of the most dynamic articles to have been published on the ESPN’s Andscape.com, a multi-media platform that publishes content exploring how race and identity impact American culture. Timely and relevant, BlackTold covers current events such as the BLM movement, the Covid-19 pandemic, race and the NFL, and more. These essays include:

· “George Floyd’s mother was not there, but he used her as a sacred invocation”
· “How Black Utah Jazz players embraced Salt Lake City”
· “Can a black heroine fix the racist stereotypes infecting ‘King Kong’?”

Raina Kelley is Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of The Undefeated, ESPN’s multimedia content initiative exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture. Prior to that role, she was managing editor at the undefeated. Kelley’s leadership helped The Undefeated earn awards and commendations for its work, including citations by the Associated Press Sports Editors and several NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards for exemplary coverage of African American people and issues.

Before joining The Undefeated, Kelley served as deputy editor and senior editor at ESPN The Magazine. She was a leading driver of ESPN’s long-form journalism across different platforms and was responsible for the publication’s coverage of the National Football League, tennis, action sports, the Olympics and ESPN Enterprise Unit.

Before ESPN, Kelley was a staff writer and associate editor for Newsweek magazine. She penned a column on American culture, usually on race, gender, and politics for the magazine, Newsweek.com, and Newsweek/Daily Beast. While at Newsweek, she appeared on numerous television programs to discuss her cultural criticism, including the Charlie Rose Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show and CNN’s American Morning. At Newsweek, she won several NY NABJ awards for her work on race and culture and was a 2010 Newswomen’s Club of NY Front Page Award winner for her contribution to a Newsweek.com package entitled “The Beauty Advantage.”

A 1992 graduate of theater arts from Yale University, Kelley started her professional career as a staff member at the Aboutface Theater Company (AFTC).