By Kathreen Harrison
As I say goodbye, I hope for better days for my friends, for the communities I respect, and for the future of this country.
— Kathreen Harrison
On Dec. 31, I will be stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of Amjambo Africa. Co-founding and leading Amjambo Africa for the past eight years has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my professional life, and I leave with great memories.
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We are an unusual newsroom, and together we’ve created a product unique in Maine. Our editorial team includes journalists from the U.S., as well as an inspiring group of foreign-born, professional reporters who never believed they’d find a way to continue their careers in Maine. Not everyone on the editorial team is fluent in English, but we have always managed to communicate. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together.
I want to thank Stacey Warner, who has been our art director from the very beginning. She developed our trademark style, and in short order became the person I turned to for help with just about everything related to the publication. There would be no Amjambo without her.
Stephanie Harp has also been with us from the first year, fact checking every step of the way, and ensuring high standards. A special mention to Jean Damascene Hakuzimana, who joined as a translator in our launch year, then moved on to become a reporter, and finally served as our first deputy editor and podcast host before moving to New Hampshire. And thanks also to our dedicated team of translators, whose excellent work has made it possible for so many people to access our content.
I’ve been looking back through some of the photos and stories we’ve published over the years as I prepare for my departure, and I’m struck by how different a place the U.S. is now than when we launched in 2018.
George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were still alive. Still around the corner was a global pandemic, and Zoom meetings were not yet a fact of life. The current president was in his first term, and people were wary but not yet scared to leave their homes or send their children to school. And Maine was buzzing with vibrant, in-person celebrations, exhibits, and conferences organized by people from a wide variety of communities who were delighted to be re-building their lives in Maine.
It’s easy to be nostalgic for those days. And it’s painful to see so many of the people I have come to know and love over the years living in fear. As I say goodbye, I hope for better days for my friends, for the communities I respect, and for the future of this country.
Yes, we’re a relatively young country, and immaturity can lead to mistakes. But we’re not so young that we don’t know better than to take out our problems on long-suffering, innocent people. History will not judge the perpetrators of the injustice of these times kindly.
In closing, I just want to say that I leave with an unwavering belief in the power of journalism and multilingual storytelling to educate, inform, and move hearts. Onward!
