When writing about a cultural movement, it’s easy to fall into stereotypes. Stereotypes and generalities make stories easier to write, if I’m being honest, but oftentimes they blur the facts and personalities a little too much, stretching the reality to fit a narrative. That’s especially true when writing a story about a group you are not a part of. From the outside looking in, your own lens can get in the way, making your perspective shape the truth, instead of searching for truth and exposing it.

You can go way back to find examples of Black journalism in American sports. As long as there has been sports journalism, there have been Black writers writing about the games we love. But recently, there has been a rise in Black content creators in the soccer space. Maybe less in the upper echelons of the coverage, where the big money lives and most eyes are trained, but in the DIY culture of soccer content creation, there is a growing wave of Black journalists, expanding the coverage of the game and bringing a distinct approach to sharing the stories of the sport. That rising tide is raising all boats and those creatives are pushing for space in the conversation.

This month, we’ll be highlighting some of these Black content creators who are shining in the soccer space. Maybe you haven’t heard of them yet, but they are influencing and shaping the culture of soccer and it’s time for some recognition.

Building our own tables

El Johnson was one of the founders of 2cents FC, a brand that focused on “Black storytelling in soccer.” He didn’t plan on getting into media at first, in fact, he describes it as an accident. “I have always been an "ideas" guy, but worked primarily in the creative field for the majority of my career. A former partner and I were looking for ways to help build a friend's personal brand (he was a former pro athlete) and we kind of fell into the space that way. I personally always wanted to work in sports and saw that as my way through the door so I jumped in head first.”

El is a jack-of-all-trades, willing to step in and fill any role he needs to get the job done.

The name of his orginal company “came from the show that we were producing (with Amobi Okugo) prior to starting our soccer coverage. As we expanded, we repositioned the name to align with the fact that we're often overlooked in media (especially in soccer), and we have something to say as well, we have our 2Cents to add to the conversation.” And that conversation is inspired by everything El sees. “I draw inspiration from everywhere. Youtube vloggers, documentarians, creatives working in sports both on the graphic and video sides of the coin. I try to be a sponge and keep pushing to achieve the level and quality in our work that I see in those who are providing the inspiration. I think it's that hunger for progress always, in all ways, that keeps things exciting for me.”

But for El, a podcast wasn’t enough. He is, as he says, “an ideas guy” and he had a lot of ideas about building something much bigger. “I have a vision for myself and the brands that I'm building. I see content that we produce living everywhere from your Youtube feed to Netflix/Apple TV/Hulu etc. I see us working with brands large and small to tell stories and champion the game from our lens.”

Forty-One

Recently El made the decision to merge 2Cents with Kicks to the Pitch to launch Forty-One, “a soccer lifestyle and media brand focused on the Concacaf region, with a mission to be the definitive source for Art, Music, Fashion, and unique stories centered around football in the region.” And while El has always focused on expressing his Blackness through his work, he can also read the room. “Companies are backing off DEI, so I didn’t want to get boxed in as the ‘Black’ outlet. By focusing on CONCACAF (outside of the attention the region will have over the next 3-4yrs) I can expand storytelling to the variety of cultures that make up the region. CONCACAF is inherently diasporic. So ‘Black’ stories will be told by default because of the makeup of the confederation.”

The presentation of the Forty-One website reflects the calm coolness that El has brought to every project he’s touched. It’s intentional. “By focusing on culture and lifestyle, we can touch that casual aspect of the game that makes it cool and palatable. Black culture drives culture so those are the faces that are highlighted through the lens of “cool”, fashion, art, sneakers, etc. but it doesn’t feel like the “Black” outlet because we cover anyone doing cool things across the region.”

A recent screen shot from Forty-One Magazine showed the beautiful approach they are taking to storytelling and layout.

Forty-One won’t be limited to just a cultural magazine. The boundaries will be stretched beyond a single, limited category to a variety of outlets and products. “Starting Forty-One was a strategic move for us to have the opportunity to scale and grow as creatives, storytellers, and explore the wider vision of making Forty-One a lifestyle brand with merch, memberships and eventually community spaces.” El and the rest of the Forty-One team will also be working to consult with other businesses to extend the group’s vision and influence beyond their own brand. Basically searching for the next voice and next story to elevate and refine.

And while there is no singular approach within Black creatives, there is a common thread that El articulates so well: the passion for helping grow the Culture through giving a hand up to others. “I always try to provide opportunities where I can, I feel a personal obligation to bring as many of my people through the door with me as possible. I may not always be able to offer paid opportunities, but I can make the platform that we built available for those who have aspirations to break into the sports media business. I'm proud of the growth of the individuals that work with us and the accolades that they're receiving because of that work. That inspires me to keep pushing the platform to new levels so that it can unlock new opportunities for those individuals and others coming up behind them.” El is the epitome of a hype man, always pushing the next writer, podcaster, vlogger, artist. It’s who he is and he sees it as necessary. “I think a lot of us see that nobody is going to tell our stories (or tell them accurately) and nobody is going to willingly give us a voice, so we're creating our own lane within this sport that we love. Building our own tables if you will.”

- Dan Vaughn

Cover art by Peyton Gallaher. For more of his work or contact info, this is his website.