Level, the publication for Black men launched on Medium three years ago, has migrated to its own website, Levelman.com, with Medium founder/CEO Ev Williams serving as the lead investor.
The initial launch content, according to EIC John Kennedy, includes rapper Jim Jones on being an NFT early adopter and his two-decade career; comedy writer Carlos Greaves compiles the 55 biggest, Blackest dad jokes you’ve never heard; and the return of the popular Level column “The Only Black Guy in the Office,” sharing one man’s snarky accounts of being corporate while Black. There is also an essay from author/ culture critic Michael Arceneaux about the problematic legacy of the recently deceased, controversial relationship guru Kevin Samuels.
Other future topics include “How Future Became a Toxic King” and a symbol for exes trying to keep in touch; “The Ills of Parenting While Mentally Ill,” “How America Is Already Trying to Gentrify Juneteenth” and more.
Level highlights over the past three years include the “Abolition for the People” package in collaboration with Colin Kaepernick and the “40 Rappers over 40” list. The new website will continue the brand’s goal of speaking to Black men age 30+ and will focus on the areas of Race & Politics, Culture, Relationships, and Self (finance, wellness, career, identity, and aging).
“Level built an ecosystem for Black men,” says CEO and founder Jermaine Hall. “We delivered a space where this audience with tremendous disposable income and cultural currency can be seen. The response from our audience required us to expand our offerings and build a larger universe for them to come together, let their guards down, and share ideas.”