Oakland native, Mike Nicholls, launches new publishing company to showcase Black and Brown perspectives in print.
Since 2017, the Oakland, CA-based UMBER graphic journal has showcased Black and Brown perspectives, designers, thinkers, and cultural trailblazers and has communicated, in print, the worldviews of Black people, Indigenous people, Latin Americans, and marginalized people. Now, UMBER takes the bold step by forming Umber Publishing and launching two new print publications – TONE and SLUMBER.
These two new print publications will leverage the power of print to build community among its readers and around the creative culture it cultivates. TONE is for the forward-thinking Black man and SLUMBER is for the uninhibited print publication exploring sensuality, eroticism, and desire from the Black and Brown perspective.
“In launching a Black-owned publishing company, we acknowledge the legacy and legend of John H. Johnson of Johnson Publications, who created Ebony and Jet magazines,”
says Umber Publishing Founder, Creative Director & Editor-in-Chief Mike Nicholls.“Our portfolio of publications will express the nuance and creativity of marginalized voices by sharing captivating and authentic stories from around the world. We want to expand and redefine what it means to be Black and Brown.”
Charlotte, NC-native and Atlanta Art Institute-trained Nicholls founded UMBER as the creative thinker’s graphic journal and he has become one of the most-in-demand design resources for influencers, brands, and companies.
Umber Publishing has also launched a fundraising campaign, “Succeeding Against the Odds,” to pre-order TONE and SLUMBER and support Umber Publishing’s expansion.
Umber Publishing also includes, the free-form publication Black & Brown Perspective Digest and the current issue features architectural trailblazer Deanna Van Buren of “Designing Justice+Designing Spaces.” The new issue of UMBER graphic journal will be released in July 2021 and is centered on “Wealth.”
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