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IT ALL BEGAN IN THE HOUSE OF SLAVES ON GOREE ISLAND
Goree Island; Dakar Senegal
Goree Island; Dakar Senegal
Goree Island; Dakar Senegal
In 2007, I made a promise to my ancestors while standing in Les Maison des Esclaves (the House of Slaves) on Goree Island; off the coast of Dakar, Senegal; West Africa. I promised to create a way to share our stories to document our history.
Les Maison des Esclaves
Goree Island; Dakar Senegal
Goree Island; Dakar Senegal
I could feel the spirits of my ancestors hovering over me -- as I stood in the same place where they were kept against their will -- after being stolen from their native land. I cried. I listened. I felt a soft breeze blowing in peace.
The Door of No Return
Goree Island; Dakar Senegal
The Sankofa Vow is The Promise made by Chillin'
As my eyes welled with tears, I whispered a promise. I promised them that I would discover a way to tell their stories to their great, great, great, great, great-grandchildren -- to educate them about their triumphs and their struggles.
The Sankofa Vow is The Promise made by Chillin'
The Sankofa Vow is The Promise made by Chillin'
The Sankofa Vow is The Promise made by Chillin'
The Soultown Digital & Print Magazine is the manifestations of the promise.
The Sankofa Vow is a message in each issue of The Soultown Magazine.
Got a Story to tell with SOUL?
The Sankofa Vow is The Promise made by Chillin'
Got a Story to tell with SOUL?
Without fear or favor, I share the most intimate thoughts from the perspective of an African-American female, who is also a descendant of a slave.
Immortalizing Our Stories
The Sankofa Vow is The Promise made by Chillin'
Got a Story to tell with SOUL?
It is comprised of contributing artists, writers, businesses, and amazing people who help to immortalize the stories of their communities to implore positive progress.
Welcome Home
Our Stories Implore Positive Progress In Our Towns With Soul!
Mountain View, CA 94043 • 319.505.4020 • thesoultownmagazine.com •
chillin@thesoultownmagazine.com
About The Soultown Magazine
Founded in 2017, The Soultown Magazine was created with a clear purpose: to inform, inspire, and serve as a cultural bridge through storytelling that centers truth, community, and lived experience. From its inception, Soultown has been committed to delivering meaningful content that reflects the voices, histories, and realities often overlooked or misrepresented.
Our inaugural issue, released on January 15, 2017, reached more than 1,000 digital viewers—affirming both the need for and the resonance of our work. Since then, we have continued to grow as a trusted platform where readers turn for insight, perspective, and connection. We believe content has the power to educate, challenge, uplift, and entertain—and we take that responsibility seriously.
Our History: The Sankofa Vow
The Soultown Magazine was born from a deeply personal and spiritual commitment made by our Founder and CEO, Chillin' Kabba. During a transformative visit to the House of Slaves on Gorée Island in 2007, she made what she calls the Sankofa Vow—a promise to reach back, reclaim stories, and ensure that the histories and realities of Brown and Black communities are told with truth, dignity, and purpose.
Inspired by her journey to Dakar, Senegal, Soultown stands as a living extension of that vow. Established as an independent magazine publisher in 2017, the publication covers a wide range of topics—including politics, entertainment, sports, business, and culture—always through a lens of responsibility, empowerment, and community enlightenment.
Community Growth & Engagement
Since its founding, The Soultown Magazine has grown into a vibrant, engaged community spanning 20 states and 33 zip codes, supported by local businesses, artists, educators, and community leaders. This growth reflects the collective belief that storytelling matters and that representation shapes understanding.
Notably, the continued support of leaders such as Mayor Quentin Hart of Waterloo, Iowa, who has championed Soultown since 2017, exemplifies the shared commitment to civic engagement, cultural awareness, and community progress.
Our Team
Our team is made up of passionate journalists, editors, and contributors who bring decades of combined experience to the work. Each member of the Soultown team is driven by a love for storytelling and a commitment to accuracy, creativity, and cultural integrity.
Our contributors come from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, enriching the stories we tell and ensuring our content reflects the breadth and depth of the communities we serve.
Our Values
At The Soultown Magazine, we are guided by integrity, accuracy, creativity, and courage. We are committed to providing truthful, balanced, and thoughtful content while remaining open to innovation and new ways of storytelling. We believe great content requires discipline, imagination, and a willingness to take risks in service of truth.
Sponsorship, Advertising & Reach
The Soultown Magazine strategically amplifies its reach through digital platforms including Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), TikTok, and our official website—allowing us to connect with audiences locally and nationally. Our print edition provides local businesses with meaningful exposure within their communities, while our digital presence continues to expand our national and global footprint.
Together, these channels allow Soultown to foster deeper engagement, amplify partner visibility, and strengthen community connections across platforms.
Contributing Artists & Creators
Our contributing artists include volunteer writers, illustrators, cartoonists, and photographers from across the United States and South Africa. Their work adds depth, creativity, and global perspective to our publication.
If you are interested in contributing, please submit a sample of your work to chillin@thesoultownmagazine.com
with the subject line: “I Got Soul.” We appreciate your interest in being part of the Soultown story.
Thank You for Having SOUL!
CELEBRATING 100 ISSUES!
The Soultown April 2025 - 100th Issue
Inside the April 2025 issue, I made a promise to you — much like the promise I made to my ancestors as I stood inside the House of Slaves. I accepted their charge: Keep telling our stories. For us. For them. For the future. And this issue delivers just like the prior 99.
Right in the center of this collector’s edition is your gift — a commemorative calendar featuring all 100 covers of The Soultown Magazine. Beginning with April 2025 and closing out with our latest covers through December, this calendar is more than a keepsake. It’s proof of the legacy we’ve built, and the road still ahead.
Soul Directory
The Soul Directory is a curated listing of Black professionals across industries, designed to spotlight expertise, leadership, and excellence. It serves as a trusted space to discover, support, and connect with Black-owned businesses, creatives, and professionals making an impact in their communities.