The Black and Married with Kids Interview

Posted Under: interviews, technology

What inspired Black and Married with Kids?

We wanted to provide a positive face for black families with a mother and father in the household. We didn’t feel like that was being represented enough.

Who runs the site? Do your children have any input?

Just the two of us, the kids don’t really have any input other than giving us material to write about without knowing it, ha ha.

Do you find that black men and women who don’t have children frequent your site as well as singles?

Definitely, I think it’s a pretty good mix of people that are single and married, with or without kids. Our single readers have a lot to add to our conversations, especially concerning relationships and sometimes they provide questions to us that they want us to present to our married readers to get feedback.

Your site does very friendly movie reviews. Do you have any plans to include books?

In the future we plan to expand beyond movies and music to books, plays, events etc…

What is the weirdest thing or question you’ve encountered running the site so far?

All of the questions have been really good but what probably surprised us the most was the response we got to a user question about why married couples don’t wear rings. We thought it would be a post that didn’t generate much discussion but actually it turned out being a hot topic.

What do you find are some of the most popular features on your site?

Definitely the relationship talk. People can’t get enough of it. Some of the topics we’ve covered are how long is too long to date if you want to
get married, why are there so many single black females, beware of advice, and what to do when no one agrees with your relationship.

Are there any plans to feature a couple of the month or run contests for visitors?

You must be a mind reader! Actually we’re starting that feature this month and will do at least one couple a month. When we first started that was one of the main things we wanted to do, show that there are plenty of successful black couples contrary to what you see and hear about us as a people.

I love how you cover politics, entertainment and deal with relationships. It’s a wonderful mix. Are there any plans to add other categories?

As topics come up we add them, the site is flexible and we want to talk about what’s on the mind of people that are black and married with kids. Sometimes, that’s politics, parenting or relationships and sometimes it’s as simple as if I only have a babysitter for one night, what movie do I want to see and is it worth me dropping twenty bucks a piece on the tickets?

What do you feel are the major benefits that visitors will acquire coming to your site?

We think they’ll get a good perspective of a real couple. We’re not perfect but we are in love and we do love our children. We’re living life
day by day and not taking anything for granted and we want to share that.

What do you say to those who say that you’ve alienated those of non-African American descent?

Most of our topics are not necessarily race specific and we think anyone can learn and identify with a lot of the issues we discuss. But we do want stress that the Black family is still alive and kicking. If we don’t who will?

Thanks to the two of you for a very interesting interview.

Visit Married and Black with Kids at www.MarriedandBlackwithKids.com.

Black Women are Leaving Myspace and Joining Rich Black Girls

Posted Under: interviews, technology

Black Women are Leaving Myspace and Joining Rich Black Girls. Professional Black Women and College students prefer Rich Black Girls because the members aren’t just collecting social contacts without benefiting from it. “In no way, shape or form does the site attempt to duplicate Myspace. The design isn’t like myspace, the method of contact isn’t like myspace. We believe that the style of our site is even better than Myspace, truthfully,” Tina Crawford explains. “I hope that I don’t put any one off by this statement, but there is absolutely no comparison.” Rich Black Girls has members who are in some of the most powerful organizations in the nation, if not the world. Princess Dominique wanted to dish a little technology culture and caught up with a rep for a mini-interview.

1. Why RichBlackGirls.com when there are already sites like Myspace, Facebook and Hi5?

Facebook nor Myspace offer the resources that we offer to our demographic: Black Women. Facebook and Myspace are sites that are very valuable to musicians and college students who want to “shoot the breeze” and socialize. However, there was no place for a Black woman who would like to empower herself, her community and so forth. Let’s face it, we have 2 strikes against us in this society: Black and a Woman. We want to level out the playing field by creating a space where Black women can connect and share resources, networking tips, business ideas, and etc.

Myspace and Facebook and Hi5 are so random. You can stay on there for hours at a time, and really accomplish nothing but decorating a profile and adding friends, many of which you more than likely will never meet. Rich Black Girls does not try to be a duplicate or replica of these already established brands. Our database is a membership database, not a social networking site. It offers our members to view “virtual business cards”, business listings, deals, job postings and etc, and industry help for our demographic. It isn’t a site where you spend hours at a time getting sucked in, and not accomplishing anything. It has a direct purpose and goal. And that goal is to empower Black women, and to connect those who are already powerful with one another. Anyone can join Facebook, anyone can join Myspace, there are no criterias that would distinguish someone who was serious about business development, community development, personal advancement vs. someone who just wants to chit chat all day.

2. Why is there a fee to join and what are some of the benefits of paying to join a networking group like RichBlackGirls.com?

There is a fee because we offer services that no other community does:

-Classes/Seminars
-Industry Articles
-Scholarships/Grant Information
-Investment Info
-Deals
-Meet and Greet offline
-The ability to Bid on other member’s projects
-Consistent Empowerment
-Audio Magazine
-Members can list their businesses and projects in our classified section
-We offer promotion for the business owner, mentors for the college student, and connections for the Black elite socialites

Other sites that have fees are $19.99 for Meet up, $1,000 for Women Launch, we believe we are very competitive, especially with all the content we provide. We also realize that not everyone can afford to subscribe, and to us that is a good thing. We only want to appeal to a certain demographic: Black women who can and will invest in their own self improvement.

3. Where do you hope to see RichBlackGirls.com in the next few years?

We have plans on visiting college campuses to interact and create leadership workshops for Black women. We are launching a television platform in the near future. Overall, we really don’t want or need “all the big publicity”, we just want those Black women who would like to connect with other Black women in power to do so. We plan on having a National Conference in the next couple of years, and we are excited about that.

We would like to thank you, and your publication. We think that you have a fabulous site, and will be telling the members about your blog.

Shu - Musical Artist

Posted Under: interviews

What do you do when two challenging opportunities are presented to you at once? Study at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar or release the funkiest Soul music album in years? Those were the paths presented to sensational young artist Shu as he was recording his debut studio album, Shusic. He chose to seize them both! Driven by his captivating voice, memorable melodies and witty, poignant lyrics, Shusic combines the pulsing beat of Shu’s African homeland with the moans of America’s gospel south and the edginess of contemporary rock and hip hop in a truly original and seductive debut. At only 24, with degrees from Harvard and now Oxford, Shu has resisted the lure of six-figure corporate salaries to dedicate himself to the less certain life of an independent artist, determined to support the album he put so much into creating. Fortunately, Shu is already seeing this choice validated: With his impressive command of songwriting, Shu was recently named both the Grand Prize Winner and a Finalist (runner-up) in the R&B category of the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Contest, which routinely draws over 20,000 entries from both professional and amateur songwriters. Shu was also a top songwriter in the Billboard Songwriting Contest, 2003.

Shu recorded Shusic in a basement studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, hoping to achieve that full, warm immediacy you can only get with 2-inch analog tape, live players and one or two takes. With Shu’s songs as a foundation, and production-assistance from some of most creative new names in R&B/Soul, including Dave Tozer (John Legend’s primary collaborator), Myron (Dru Hill collaborator) and J. Marty, Shusic is quickly gaining attention. The album has created such a buzz in Japan that P-Vine Records (Japan’s premier R&B/Soul label) picked it up for national retail distribution. Shu’s distinctive sound has also been enthusiastically received on the Internet, where Shu is frequently ranked as one of the top unsigned R&B artists on MySpace. Several distributors and labels in Europe and the US are beginning to take note and express serious interest in Shusic, and in Shu. Shu grew up in modest surroundings in Nairobi, Kenya, with the strumming of his father’s guitar and simple Swahili songs about love and loss serving as his first musical backdrop. At the age of seven, he began training as a classical pianist, going on to win numerous national awards. Shu was also heavily involved in live theater, playing lead roles and winning best actor awards in national festivals. Despite this instrumental and stage success, however, Shu always knew that singing and songwriting were where his heart lay.

As a live performer, Shu’s stage presence, personality, songs, and heart-felt shows have won him avid fans around the world, whether playing with a full band or more intimately on self-accompanied piano. In his homebase of New York, Shu has played headlining shows to full houses at premier venues like S.O.B.’s, Joe’s Pub and The Cutting Room. He has also taken his music on the road to Atlanta, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, England and Kenya. Visit his website at: www.Shusic.com.

Note: I get lots of information on jobs, casting and extra gigs, so, to stay abreast on that and fashion and celeb news join my discussion group at princessdominique-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. I get way too many to post them on the blog or to my mailing list. Thanks!

Tracey Michae’l Lewis - Exodus Media Group

Posted Under: interviews

As a highly sought after author, educator, and CEO of Exodus Media Group, Inc. (formerly MoonChild Enterprises), Tracey Michae’l Lewis often consults and speaks across the country to businesses, individuals, schools, and groups on a number of topics. Full of wit, wisdom, and a transparency not often seen in speakers today, Lewis’ workshops and seminars are testimonial based and designed to immediately enrich her audience on all levels. In presentations tailored to the specific goals of each group, she shares her professional expertise and personal experiences in a dynamic and straightforward manner. As an author, Lewis has written four books including the successful, Christian Fiction novel, The Gospel According to Sasha Renee and the powerful, upcoming book, Scared to Die, Scared to Live: How Fear Manifests. A graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a Master of Business Administration degree from Montclair State University, this Louisville, Kentucky native and Philadelphia resident began her career as a marketing executive for top companies such as Lucent Technologies and Dun and Bradstreet. However, she answered a higher call for her to merge her creative ability of “making words rejoice” with her business acumen and in 2002 she became President and CEO of Exodus Media Group, Inc. (formerly MoonChild Enterprises), an independent publishing and business consulting firm who has recently launched its newest publication, ANOINTED MAGAZINE, a Christian lifestyle magazine for women of color and the men who love them. Visit the website @ http://www.exodusmediagroup.com.

Note: I get lots of information on jobs, casting and extra gigs, so, to stay abreast on that and fashion and celeb news join my discussion group at princessdominique-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. I get way too many to post them on the blog or to my mailing list. Thanks!

Marcus Harris - Poet, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur

Posted Under: interviews

Marcus Harris has long been hailed for his insightful, timely and often poignantly humorous body of poetry, prose, and commentary. Naturally gifted in communicating a range of issues via a variety of different voices, Marcus has become highly respected for his ability to relate universal truths that span the boundaries of race, color, creed, and gender and address the everyday lives interwoven throughout the global community. “Songs In Search Of A Voice,” his debut collection of original poetry, will be released in March 2006. Visit him online today and pre-order a copy @ http://www.marcusharris.net.

Listen to the Marcus Harris Interview