Letter from The Editor: BEcoming
Dear Black Explosion Readers,
I screamed as I read the beginning lines of an email I got while driving for work.
“We hope this email finds you well. After careful consideration, we would like to congratulate and extend an official offer to serve as The Black Explosion 2025 to 2026 editor-in-chief,” the email read.
I started with The Black Explosion Newspaper fall 2024 as a staff writer. I had no actual journalism experience and came into my first meeting knowing nothing. I pitched a story that I heard moments prior without knowing anything about it—the Black Student Union Freshman Council.
The Editor-in-Chief, Mario Morais, told me that the freshman council wasn’t happening until later that month and suggested I write a feature story on the new BSU president. After it was published, I remember the message from Mario vividly, “Congrats on your first article with The Black Explosion.”
From there, I developed a beat on BSU as well as exploring new beats like performances, plays and politics.
Before the spring semester started the general assignments editor position opened and I eagerly applied. In my interview Mario told me that he was excited when he saw I applied. I worked with new reporters on learning how to write and how to report. While guiding them I learned a lot about the paper that I wanted to change.
Why didn’t we have a newsroom? Why couldn’t we have a table at the first look fair? Why did we have no money? All of this went into my decision to apply for EIC that spring.
As EIC, I sharpened my editing skills, paid a lot more attention to detail and learned patience. I loved seeing new people come in and be excited to work with us. During my time in charge, I created a weekly newsletter recapping the news of the week. I made official merchandise.
I moved to become independent from the Nyumburu Cultural Center (and by extension the University of Maryland) under the non-profit organization Maryland Media. With this, BE will get a newsroom, a budget and staff pay which I hope will increase our staff recruitment and retention.
With the hiring of Razak Diallo as next year’s EIC, I’m both saddened that my time has come to an end and excited for what Razak will do with so much more resources and opportunities to expand on the paper.
While I loved being EIC, I’m thrilled to transition to the position of the layout editor this fall. I hope to create a special edition print newspaper, working closely with reporters and photographers to create stories that can withstand the test of time in a physical format that we can distribute to our readers.
Thank you all for a wonderful year and for being a BE reader. Thank you to the BE staff for being such a wonderful group of people to lead. Thank you to the BE managing editors, your advice and experience has been an immeasurable help. I admire and value you both dearly.
Stay tuned for what’s next. BE on top. We only move up.
Sincerely,
Nina Wilson
2025-2026 Editor-in-Chief