Sometimes the best ideas don’t come out of a boardroom. Sometimes they come from a random Facebook post. That’s exactly how Hy-Lo News’ new Politics & Chill community series was born.
In late June, I took to Facebook with a simple thought and hours later it morphed into a full fledged event series. As the founder and publisher of Hy-Lo News, it’s been my goal since the inception of the news company to host authentic events that brought our brand to life, but I always felt like I lacked the resources to do them properly. Then one day I decided to just ask for help and what happened next I didn’t expect.
“I wish I could throw a ‘Politics & Chill’ type of event before the elections where we sip and eat and talk sh*t about the elections and then a ‘Yo, I Voted!’ event election night to celebrate us doing our civic duty. Is that too nerdy tho?,” I asked of my Facebook family as I like to call them.
To my surprise, instead of laughing off the idea, the community rallied around it. Within hours, more than 120 comments poured in encouraging me to make it happen. Local businesses volunteered venues. Community members offered to help organize and volunteer. Others simply said they were hungry for a space where everyday residents—not politicians—could talk honestly about local government and the future of their neighborhoods.
And just like that, Politics & Chill (A play on the phrase “Netflix & Chill”) was born, and it will be an ongoing event Hy-Lo News hosts not only doing election season but whenever the community needs a safe space to discuss what’s going on in our community.
The first event kicked off July 29th at Co-Space in Miami Gardens. On August 4th, the next event expands into Broward County with a second gathering at We Shuckin’ Restaurant in Pembroke Pines.
My goal wasn’t to host another political forum. It was to create a safe space where residents could have real conversations about politics without campaign speeches, microphones from elected officials or candidates trying to win votes.
“This event is for the people! No candidates or elected officials will be present… Come ready to have unfiltered conversations,” is what I shared on social media to let people know what type of event this will be.
The free events featured refreshments, music and live discussions centered on local government, civic engagement, political “tea”, and the issues people say matter most before Election Day.
Before the inaugural Miami-Dade event, I announced that radio personality Papa Keith would join the conversation and even give away tickets to comedian Marlon Wayans’ comedy show to select attendees. Papa Keith asked to join the event to merge our show we co-host, That Part Podcast, with the show I host, Can We Talk Podcast.
“This event was birthed from me just saying I had an idea and y’all rose to the occasion and helped me bring it to life,” I wrote before the event. “It’s a safe space for us to vibe and discuss what we want the future of our communities to be.”
Following the first Politics & Chill, I shared on social media that the event exceeded my expectations.
“Last night was everything!… Hy-Lo News fam y’all really showed up and showed out for the kickoff of Politics & Chill. I really appreciate the community we’re forming around local politics, government and civic engagement. Y’all my heart is so full! I love y’all for real!”
The event also reinforced what has always been Hy-Lo News’ mission: journalism that brings people together instead of dividing them. I offered trade advertising to any business or organization that wanted to sponsor their services or products.
“So let’s make this a communal thing! Hy-Lo can offer trade for any local business we work with. Let’s do this like our ancestors and we all pull together to make it happen. There is something special in the air with local politics and Millennials and people in general. We gotta foster it!”
I also knew from many private conversations the type of conversations residents were eager to have and I wanted to curate a live space to host it.
“There’s a conversation about Congressional Race 24 I wanna have in person but off camera because we gotta talk about the elephant in the room,” I wrote on my Facebook post. “I believe people need a safe space to do so. And I don’t want no candidates in the room. We need to hear from the people.”
With the success of the first event, I’m excited to see the energy Broward County will bring and eventually Palm Beach County. The events will follow the same community-first formula: free admission, free refreshments, limited seating and candid honest conversations among community members
To me Politics & Chill has also become an example of what can happen when local journalism extends beyond publishing stories and creates spaces for civic participation. I wanted a place to bring what we were doing online to life. This is what it looks like. I also think people are craving authentic in-person live events and Politics & Chill is happy to meet that need.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t publicly that our partners and sponsors. The events were made possible through community partnerships with Tamilla Mullings founder of TVM Business Solutions, Joy St. Clair owner of Co-Space, Ernisha Randolph founder of We Shuckin’ Restaurant, dessert sponsor, Exquisite Kreations LLC, event producer Lacey Nicole, along with volunteers who helped bring the vision to life.
To me Hy-Lo News, Politics & Chill isn’t just another event series. It’s an extension of the newsroom’s mission to inform, connect and empower South Florida residents through journalism, civic engagement and community conversation. It’s only up from here and I’m excited to take this ride with the Hy-Lo News family.
Be Sure to RSVP for Politics & Chill: Broward County Edition.
Click HERE To view pictures and videos from the Politics & Chill: Miami-Dade Edition.
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