So...we didn't hit our goal....BUT!!!!!

An important update on The Rebel Yellow

Dear Rebel Yellow readers,

A few weeks ago, we announced that we would shut down on February 28 if we didn’t reach 1,000 paid subscribers.

In the last few weeks, you, the community, came together and we saw one of the strongest paid subscriber growth periods we’ve ever had. More than 400 new paid subscribers came through to support.

Unfortunately, we ended at 635 paid subscribers, 365 short of our goal of 1,000 to keep operations going

However, I’m proud to announce that just yesterday, right before leaving work, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) stepped in with a matching commitment for the 400 subscribers we gained and will match the next 200 subscriptions!

For those who may not know, TAAF is a national organization launched in 2021 focused on advancing safety, prosperity and belonging for AAPI communities across the country. They fight hate and promote safety in cities, push for AAPI history in classrooms, advance decision makers in Hollywood, and ensure we are represented at all levels of leadership. They believe narrative and storytelling are critical to building lasting infrastructure for our community.

The combination of community support and TAAF gives us enough runway to continue operating for the next 12 months.

I’m immensely grateful for everyone who came to support in the last few weeks. You all really helped start the momentum to ensure we continue telling these critical stories. Of course, huge thanks to TAAF for recognizing that momentum and stepping in with the matching commitment to keep us going.

While I’m proud that our team can continue operations, the work is far from over. These commitments keep us going, but we still need to grow our paid subscriber base in order to truly expand and thrive as an independent publication.

As a note, this support keeps our current newsroom alive, but it is still not enough to compensate our Editor in Chief, Alan Van, who worked all of last year without pay and has volunteered to keep it going. Both he and I are committed to doing everything we can to continue telling these stories.

So, as we work to continue serving you in the best way possible, please continue to share and support. Our promise is that as we grow, we will do everything we can to improve and expand our coverage, with dreams of having AAPI centered newsrooms across the country.

Thank you for being here,

Benny Luo, Founder

P.S. There’s no newsletter today because our staff is busy putting the final touches on our monthly Zine, set for release MONDAY! Check our our last issue HERE.