Why This Newsletter Matters
If you care about the world but feel overwhelmed by the news cycle that feels like it it’s talking at you and not learning with you, this newsletter is for you. Each week, I break down complex foreign affairs into stories that connect us—no matter where you live or how you identify. While Ukraine is my primary focus, I draw parallels to global issues that help us understand how we’re all linked.
I’m a Black American journalist living in Kyiv, known for my frontline coverage of Russia’s 2022 invasion. I was the only Black reporter embedded with Ukrainian soldiers and helping refugees escape. That experience sparked deeper conversations among non-white audiences:
Are there Nazis in Ukraine?
Do Ukrainians like Black people?
What do they think about Palestine?
What started as war coverage in Ukraine has evolved into a broader exploration of privilege, race, and media narratives. This newsletter delves into all of that.
Who I Am
I tell stories that blend personal experience with global insight. My reporting style is memoir-driven, simple, and emotionally resonant—designed to help you feel the news and the people I report on.
I’ve spent 16 years in journalism, covering U.S. politics, racism at home and abroad, and Eastern European affairs. I’ve interviewed Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren. My work has appeared in Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, MSNBC, and more.
I’ve lived through revolutions and invasions—from Georgia’s Rose Revolution as a Peace Corps volunteer to Russia’s war in Ukraine as an independent journalist. My academic background includes two master’s degrees: one in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, and another in Journalism, both from the University of Illinois.
I am a proud graduate of Philander Smith College, an HBCU!
I compare diplomacy to the drug trade and once likened Vladimir Putin to Marlo Stanfield from The Wire. That column went viral.
What You’ll Get
Each week, I publish videos and podcasts on Terrell J Starr Official YouTube that center Ukraine but speak to global issues. You’ll get:
Narrative-driver feature stories that make foreign policy relatable
Commentary that challenges mainstream narratives
Insights shaped by lived experience, not think tank jargon
This isn’t your typical foreign affairs newsletter. It’s a space where we all can engage with global events on our own terms and without corporate overreach.
Why Subscribe?
You’ll gain access to:
Weekly content that connects global events to your life
A monthly Zoom call where I unpack the latest news from Ukraine
A community of readers who care about the world
Most importantly, you’ll be supporting independent journalism that helps us learn how to be in community with each other.
Foreign policy isn’t just about governments. It’s about figuring out kind of world you want to live in. My newsletter helps you explore that question through stories that help us explore the commonality of humanity.
Join my newsletter today (preferably as a paid subscriber), so we can learn together how to make this world a better place.
