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The TRiiBE

Website:

thetriibe.com/
Type:

Digital media outlet
Parent Organization:

Resilience Partners
Formation:

2017
Co-Founders:

Morgan Elise Johnson

Tiffany Walden

David Elutilo

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The TRiiBE is a digital media outlet that reports on African-American communities within the city of Chicago and how they are impacted by local politics, culture, and public policy. 1 2 The outlet is a fiscally sponsored project of the left-of-center grantmaking foundation Resilience Partners. The outlet also reports on “government accountability,” policing, housing policy, and “racial equity” in municipal governance. 3

The TRiiBE was founded in 2017 by journalists Morgan Elise Johnson and Tiffany Walden, alongside web developer David Elutilo. 4 2  Since its founding, the outlet has received philanthropic support from other foundations provided through grants paid to Resilience Partners. These include the Ford Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Chicago Community Trust (CCT). 5 6 7

According to Resilience Partners’ 2023 tax filing, Resilience Partners reported $4.376 million in revenue, $3.558 million in expenses, and $2.489 million in net assets. 8

Activities

The TRiiBE publishes daily online journalism via news articles, investigative reporting, opinion pieces, and multimedia content. 9 The outlet has specifically focused on African-American communities and how they are impacted by factors such as local politics, culture, and public policy. The coverage has also advocated in favor of left-of-center policies such as “decolonization,” “decarceration,” mass immigration, and defunding the police. 10 11 12 13

The outlet’s coverage has also advocated for “co-governance,” a proposal where government agencies and community stakeholders (such as residents and local organizations) engage in “power-sharing,” or allegedly making governing decisions together and sharing responsibility for designing, implementing, and evaluating local policies and programs. 14

In 2025, The TRiiBE received a $25,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to put on a multi-day event designed to “explore the West Side’s relationship to the world” with the goal of attracting 200 West Side Chicago residents. 5 In 2023, the outlet received a $200,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in support of its “Reshaping the Narrative project,” which claimed to “educate the public through news articles and multimedia projects that focus on systemic racism, community investment, government accountability, and Black history.” 5 The outlet has also hosted and maintained “The SCENE,” a web-based directory highlighting African-American-owned businesses, organizations, and cultural spaces in Chicago. 15

The TRiiBE produces an annual print publication called The TRiiBE Guide that claims to promote African-American-owned businesses and cultural institutions in Chicago. 16 Media outlets have characterized the guide as a narrative-change project designed to “enhance the social and cultural experiences of black folks in Chicago.” 17 The TRiiBE has also partnered with the Chicago Tribune to produce Block Beat, a multimedia series highlighting Chicago artists and the neighborhoods that have shaped their work. 18

The TRiiBE also produces a documentary-poetry series called Another Life, where co-founders Morgan Elise Johnson and Tiffany Walden follow and report on people who have been affected by issues such as violent crime and gun violence. 19

Finances

The TRiiBE is a fiscally-sponsored project of the grantmaking organization Resilience Partners, and has received financial support from other foundations through grants paid to Resilience Partners for the purpose of funding the outlet. 2

The Ford Foundation awarded The Triibe, Inc. a multi-year grant totaling $400,000 claiming to assist with general operating support. The grant was initially approved in October 2022 for $150,000, with subsequent increases of $150,000 approved in March 2024 and $100,000 approved in January 2025. The grant period runs from January 2023 through December 2026. 6

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has provided additional support to The TRiiBE through The TRiiBE’s fiscal sponsor, Resilience Partners. In 2023, the foundation awarded $200,000 claiming to support The TRiiBE’s “Reshaping the Narrative” project. The foundation further awarded $50,000 in 2024 claiming to support organizational growth and strategic planning, followed by $25,000 in 2025 to support a multi-day civic engagement and storytelling convening organized by The TRiiBE. 5

The Chicago Community Trust (CCT) also awarded grants totaling $150,000 in 2023 to Resilience Partners claiming to support development of The TRiiBE’s “The SCENE” platform. 7

The TRiiBE has further participated in national journalism funding initiatives, including Borealis Philanthropy’s Racial Equity in Journalism Fund and Press Forward. 20 21

Leadership

Morgan Elise Johnson and Tiffany Walden are the principal co-founders of The TRiiBE, alongside web developer David Elutilo. 2

Johnson is a co-founder and publisher of The TRiiBE, responsible for overseeing the business side of the outlet, including strategic direction, partnerships, advertising, fundraising, and overall organizational vision. 2 Johnson began as a documentary filmmaker and has emphasized storytelling that claims to reshape dominant media narratives about the city’s African-American communities. 22 Johnson and Walden met as students at Northwestern University, where they became collaborators before launching The TRiiBE in February 2017. 23

Walden is a co-founder and editor-in-chief of The TRiiBE, guiding editorial priorities, newsroom strategy, and coverage decisions. 2 Prior to co-founding the outlet, Walden worked as a breaking news reporter and in 2023 was selected to be a John S. Knight (JSK) Journalism Fellow at Stanford University. 24 Walden has also been involved with Poynter and the National Association of Black Journalists diversity leadership programs. 25

David Elutilo is a co-founder of The TRiiBE as well as the outlet’s online web developer. 2 Elutilo’s background includes software engineering and full-stack development, and has contributed to technology projects such as the Chi.vote election information guide, creating the user interface and digital design elements. 26 Elutilo is also active professionally as a full-stack software engineer and developer outside of The TRiiBE. 27

Controversy

The TRiiBE has been involved in federal trademark litigation related to the use of its name since 2022. In June 2022, The TRiiBE, Inc. filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in The Triibe, Inc. v. One Tribe, LLC et al alleging trademark infringement, unfair competition, and violations of the Lanham Act and Illinois state law by the Chicago entertainment venue, Tribe Chicago. 28 The lawsuit challenged the use of the word “tribe” by Tribe Chicago, with The Triibe, Inc. asserting that the venue’s branding created a likelihood of confusion with The TRiiBE’s media brand. 28

In reporting on the case, Bloomberg Law noted that a federal judge criticized aspects of the defense’s arguments during the proceedings. 29 In a later ruling, a federal judge denied a motion to dismiss and allowed the trademark suit to proceed, including permitting the plaintiff to obtain evidence from the defendants to support its claims. The TRiiBE argued that the term “tribe” as used by the entertainment venue was not too generic to warrant trademark protection, and the judge’s ruling in The TRiiBE’s favor affirmed that the case could move forward to discovery rather than being dismissed at an early stage. 30

References

  1. [1] “The TRIIBE: Chicago IL.” Facebook. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/thetriibe/about/?ref=page_internal.
  2. “About: The Triibe.” TheTriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, n.d. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/about/.
  3. “Politics & Organizing.” TheTriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, n.d. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/category/the-news/politics-organizing/
  4. Douglas, Deborah. “Meet the New Black Press.” Niemanreports.Org. Nieman Reports, July 14, 2020. Last modified July 14, 2020. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://niemanreports.org/meet-the-new-black-press/.
  5. “Resilience Partners – MacArthur Foundation.” Www.Macfound.Org. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, n.d. Accessed December 10, 2025. https://www.macfound.org/grantee/resilience-partners-10115569/.
  6. “Grants Database – Search: The Triibe.” Www.Fordfoundation.Org. The Ford Foundation, n.d. Accessed December 10, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=the%2Btriibe.
  7. “Competitive Grants 2023.” Www.Cct.Org. The Chicago Community Trust (CCT), 2023. Last modified 2023. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.cct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CCT-AR-Competitive-Grants-2023.pdf.
  8. “Resilience Partners NFP – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. ProPublica, n.d. Accessed December 8, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/473136024/202423179349309422/full.
  9. “Home: The Triibe.” Thetriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, n.d. Accessed December 10, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/.
  10. Walden, Tiffany. “‘it Just Became Unbearable to Breathe,’ a Letter to Mayor Lightfoot about Friday’s Decolonize Zhigaagoong Protest.” Thetriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, July 19, 2020. Last modified July 24, 2020. Accessed December 11, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/2020/07/it-just-became-unbearable-to-breathe-a-letter-to-mayor-lightfoot-about-friday-decolonize-zhigaagoong-protest/.
  11. Bahhs, Bella. “THE REVOLUTIONARY COLUMN: Racist police violence is always the common denominator.” Thetriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, November 9, 2025. Last modified November 9, 2025. Accessed December 11, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/2025/11/the-revolutionary-column-racist-police-violence-is-always-the-common-denominator/.
  12. Hill, Tonia. “Chicago is a model of resistance for cities battling federal immigration enforcement operations.” Thetriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, November 25, 2025. Last modified November 25, 2025. Accessed December 11, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/2025/11/chicago-is-a-model-of-resistance-for-cities-battling-federal-immigration-enforcement-operations/.
  13. Hill, Tonia. “Organizers await Pritzker’s signature on historic Clean Slate legislation.” Thetriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, November 4, 2025. Last modified November 4, 2025. Accessed December 11, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/2025/11/organizers-await-pritzkers-signature-on-historic-clean-slate-legislation/.
  14. Pate, Rachel, Candace Williams, Christina Cordova-Herrera, Lyric Griffin, and Cynthia Avila. “Opinion: Co-Governance Is a Path to Equity in Chicago.” Thetriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, December 15, 2025. Last modified December 15, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/2025/12/opinion-co-governance-is-a-path-to-equity-in-chicago/.
  15. “Categories: The SCENE.” Thetriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, n.d. Accessed December 11, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/category/the-scene/.
  16. “The TRIIBE Guide: Heritage Edition: Paperback.” Www.Barnesandnoble.Com. Haymarket Books, 2023. Last modified 2023. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-triibe-guide-the-triibe/1144304469#:~:text=The%20TRiiBE%20Guide%20is%20an,must%2Dread%20for%20all%20Chicagoans.
  17. Myers, Quinn. “Digital Outlet the TRIIBE Launches Print Guide to Black Chicago.” News.Wttw.Com. WTTW, July 1, 2019. Last modified July 1, 2019. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://news.wttw.com/2019/07/01/digital-outlet-triibe-launches-print-guide-black-chicago.
  18. Stevens, Heidi. “Triibe Gives Black Chicago a More Balanced Voice through Its Stories.” Www.Chicagotribune.Com. Chicago Tribune, February 26, 2018. Last modified May 16, 2019. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2018/02/26/triibe-gives-black-chicago-a-more-balanced-voice-through-its-stories/.
  19. “Series: Another Life.” Thetriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, n.d. Accessed December 11, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/category/series/another-life-series/.
  20. The TRiiBE Team. “The TRiiBE receives grant from Press Forward.” Thetriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, October 16, 2024. Last modified October 16, 2024. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/2024/10/the-triibe-receives-grant-from-press-forward/.
  21. “Racial Equity in Journalism Fund.” Borealisphilanthropy.Org. Borealis Philanthropy, n.d. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://borealisphilanthropy.org/funding/media-journalism-narrative-change/racial-equity-in-journalism-fund/
  22.  Johnson, Morgan Eilise. “There’s a world of possibilities for us when we’re connected.” TheTriibe.Com. The TRiiBE, March 8, 2023. Last modified March 20, 2023. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://thetriibe.com/2023/03/theres-a-world-of-possibilities-for-us-when-were-connected/
  23. Elmeligy, Lena. “Finding Their Triibe.” Magazine.Northwestern.Edu. Northwestern University Magazine, Spring 2020. Last modified Spring 2020. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://magazine.northwestern.edu/people/finding-their-triibe.
  24. Walden, Tiffany. “How to Cover Black Communities ‘The TRiiBE Way’.” Jskfellows.Stanford.Edu. Stanford University, November 17, 2023. Last modified November 17, 2023. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://jskfellows.stanford.edu/how-to-cover-black-communities-the-triibe-way-3c56e2ed0aa5.
  25. Dyakon, Tina. “Poynter, NABJ announce the 2018 diversity leadership class.” www.poynter.org. Poynter, October 31, 2018. Last modified October 31, 2018. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2018/poynter-nabj-announce-the-2018-diversity-leadership-class/.
  26. “These Chicago News Orgs Worked Together to Create a Collaborative Voting Guide.” Www.Lenfestinstitute.Org. The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, n.d. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.lenfestinstitute.org/solutions-resources/these-chicago-news-orgs-worked-together-to-create-a-collaborative-voting-guide/.
  27. Elutilo, David. “David Elutilo – Red Ventures.” Www.Linkedin.Com. LinkedIn, n.d. Accessed December 17, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-elutilo-84259656.
  28. “The TRIIBE, Inc. v. One Tribe, LLC et al, No. 1:2022CV02988 – Document 104 (N.D. Ill. 2024): Justia.” Law.Justia.Com. Justia, 2022. Last modified 2022. Accessed December 13, 2025. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/illinois/ilndce/1:2022cv02988/415823/104/.
  29. Joyce, Stephen. “Judge Criticizes ‘meritless’ Defense in Chicago Trademark Case.” News.Bloomberglaw.Com. Bloomberg Law, June 18, 2024. Last modified June 18, 2024. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/judge-criticizes-meritless-defense-in-chicago-trademark-case.
  30. Vilensky, Mike. “Media Company Triibe Can Proceed to Discovery in Trademark Suit.” News.Bloomberglaw.Com. Bloomberg Law, February 27, 2024. Last modified February 27, 2024. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/media-company-triibe-can-proceed-to-discovery-in-trademark-suit
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