Your Cart (0)

Total

Checkout

, Option
Home

I am a North Carolina-based community advocate and freelance documentarian committed to changing the narrative.

Meet Keem Jones

Keem Jones Content Collection

Contact Keem

I am a community advocate/freelance documentarian who resides in North Carolina and is dedicated to changing the narrative. In addition, I am co-founder of the grassroots organization Cora’s Community Foundation, which is dedicated to bringing about real change in the community through direct action, education, community outreach and economic empowerment. Beyond advocating for the community, I am a freelance journalist who contributes to various publications. As a freelance journalist, I have covered everything from community happenings to musical festivals.

“Be the best you for you and those around you.”

-Rakeem "Keem" Jones

Recent Content

The Fayetteville Observer •

‘Love is patient.’ Fayetteville evangelist shares a journey of art, recovery, Christ

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 reads: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Love is one of the most powerful emotions and actions. Love guides decisions. However, love can hurt. Love can sometimes grow through pain.

More: F
The Fayetteville Observer •

DJ from Fayetteville rap scene a mainstay in J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival

Editor's note: This is an updated version of the original story.

The Oxford Languages website defines sound as vibrations that travel through the air or another medium and can be heard when they reach a person’s or animal’s ear. Noise is described as a loud or unpleasant sound that causes a disturbance.

A knowledgeable sound and technology team is integral at an event the size of J. Cole's Dreamville Festival where last year's attendance reached 100,000. The streets of downtown Raleigh will be
The Fayetteville Observer •

J.Cole's Dreamville Festival merchandise released; presale

Dreamville Festival, organized by hip-hop artist J. Cole and one of the world’s largest artist-led music festivals, is scheduled for April 6-7 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh.

One of the first stops for festival-goers is the Official Merchandise tent in the middle of the field. Now we know what some of those items are, and they are available for presale.

Here is what to expect at this year’s Official Merchandise tent:

Merchandise from past festivals is also available under the “DV Classics” t
The Fayetteville Observer •

You may not know every name in the Dreamville lineup, but you should know these songs

Dreamville Festival will be taking place at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh on April 6-7. This is the fourth year of one of the biggest artist-led festivals, led by J. Cole, who grew up in Fayetteville and attended Terry Sanford High School.

The lineup for this year's festival was released Thursday, and while fans will undoubtedly recognize names like Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown and SZA, you might not be familiar with every name on the list. We've got you covered.

In the words of Let’s Kick It 295 f
The Fayetteville Observer •

PHOTOS: Premiere of Fayetteville native Affion Crockett's movie 'A Hip Hop Story'

On February 23, comedian Danny Rag, a Fayetteville native, joined student leaders from Fayetteville State University at the AMC Marketfair 15 for the sold-out premiere of A Hip-Hop Story. A Hip-Hop Story is produced by Fayetteville native and former Bronco Affion Crockett, who also stars in the film which premiered nationwide. Rakeem "Keem" Jones, For The Fayetteville Observer

On February 23, comedian Danny Rag, a Fayetteville native, joined student leaders from Fayetteville State University at
The Fayetteville Observer •

PHOTOS: Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission presents 2024 awards

Glenn Adams, chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, speaks during the Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission 2024 Community Awards ceremony Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, at Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Rakeem "Keem" Jones For The Fayetteville Observer

The Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission recognized its 2024 Community Award winners during a lunch Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, at Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Rakeem "Keem" Jones For The Fayetteville Observer

J
The Fayetteville Observer •

Hope Mills makes history with swearing-in of first Black town manager

Monday's Hope Mills Board of Commissioners meeting was filled with a sea of men dressed in purple and gold, the signature colors of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.

The men were in attendance to support one of their members, Chancer McLaughlin, who took his oath of office as the first Black town manager of Hope Mills in the town's 133-year history.

McLaughlin, the town's former planning and economic development planner, had served in an interim capacity since the former town manager, Scott Meszar
The Fayetteville Observer •

Fayetteville journalist, activist Keem Jones: Telling our stories

Music has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember.

As a child, I was scared of the dark, and my mom gave me a cassette player. I learned all the lyrics to the only tape I had, so each night I rapped myself to sleep. My cousin Dee had more tapes, and I learned many song lyrics.

Artists are like journalists; listening to music gave me life lessons, “game” and social context. I turned to music to learn from and cope with everything, including death, clothing styles, different lingo a

Why I Advocate?

My journey as a community advocate began when I attended a rally in 2016, where I was unfortunately assaulted. This experience led to an encounter with Justin Moyer, a reporter from The Washington Post, which resulted in worldwide coverage and a front-page story on the January 1, 2017, issue of the publication, written by Terry McCoy. This experience profoundly impacted me and sparked my interest in the media's power to drive social change. During the social justice movement of 2020, I organized successful protests in my hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina, which led to policy changes and the election of a city council member.

Transition to Journalist

In November 2020, I delved into journalism after facing backlash for a photo with a high-profile political figure. Instead of reacting negatively on social media, I channeled my energy into a piece titled "No matter election results, we must focus on building a better world," which served as a healthy outlet for my thoughts. I also wrote a notable piece about my family's wrongful eviction due to COVID-19, titled "We were evicted from our home because of COVID-19 hardships. The system is broken." This work ranked third on The Fayetteville Observer's Opinion Top 10 of 2020. I collaborated with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department and community partners to halt evictions during the peak of COVID-19, leading to my work ranking first on the Top 10 list in 2021 and first/second in 2022. Recently, I contributed as a correspondent and photographer for the Dreamville Festival in Raleigh and the National Cannabis Festival in Washington, D.C. Notably, I covered the first-ever cannabis policy event in American history to be held in the U.S. Capitol.

The Purpose

My distinctive blend of a grassroots approach and journalism experience enables me to create stories that educate and empower the human race.