Author: kevin

All across the United States, there are various African American Museums that have their main focus as telling the stories of African American people. These museums are at times a product of communal initiatives that are volunteer aided or are funded by national institutions. Either way, museums play a major role in society as they document and keep memories of leaders, eras, and injustices that shaped black communities over centuries.

These museums are all important in passing down information and in educating others about how far humanity and civility have come and they also help the African American people connect with their roots and origins. Below is a list of the top 10 African American museums currently:

National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington DC

The National Museum of African American History and Culture sits on the National Mall, right in the capital of the United States. The main aim of this museum is to highlight all aspects of the culture as well as the experience of African Americans. The exhibits tell various detailed stories that are not only deep but also moving, about slavery, the impeccable influence that black artists had on music, the Civil Rights Movement, the black soldiers’ efforts and their traces of victories, as well as much more.

It has the most extensive collection detailing back to more than 500 years of black history and cultural evolution in America. There are various politicians, activists, regular black people, and sportspeople who are celebrated in this African American Museum. The artifacts that are exhibited in the museum detail, the ugly, bad, and good of America’s past as well as the present. For example, there are remnants of a slave ship as well as a red 1973 Cadillac belonging to Chuck Berry. 

Whitney Plantation, Wallace, Louisiana

Slavery and the plantation system plays a big role in the history of Louisiana. John Cummings, a white retired lawyer pointed out that Louisiana as well as the larger United States has not yet reconciled its past. John Cummings used his real estate earnings to buy Whitney plantation, which sits along the river Mississippi and between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. He then transformed it into a unique African American museum whose main focus is slavery.

When you get to this museum, you are given a card that has the name and story of someone who was enslaved. The guests will then be taken around and shown the actual grounds where slaves were toiling in order to cultivate rice and sugar during the 18th as well as 19th centuries. The tour consists of several memorials, the Big House as well as the Original slave cabins making it very moving and insightful.

The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, Selma Alabama

Selma’s National Voting Rights Museum and Institute is located on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and can be said to be way more than a simple civil rights museum. In March 1965, America was finally accepting ‘Bloody Sunday’s events. Several activists for civil rights who had peacefully and silently marched to Montgomery from Selma had been ambushed with tear gas, clubs, and bullwhips by the state troopers.

The week following this event, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave a groundbreaking speech to the US Congress as a voting rights plea quoting a famous phrase that was borrowed from civil rights activists, ‘we shall overcome.’

Other activists alongside Martin Luther King Jr. wept after this speech which led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act that banned any measure or practice in place in the states in Southern America that systematically denied black people the right to vote. This was a big landmark in the Civil Rights Movement.

This African American Museum is seen as a time capsule as well as a dedication to all those who dared to march for the cause of justice in 1965. You can see the original torn clothes as well as the footprints of those who marched. In addition, at the museum, you will learn more about the other leaders in the movement who are not as popular.

National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tennessee

The civil rights icon, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the 4th of April 1968, just hours after he delivered his memorable speech about the promised land. The assassination happened in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel.

Although his death caused a lot of commotion in the world, it also emphasized to Black Americans just how important it was to be steadfast in our demand and fight for freedom. Just steps from where Martin was murdered, sits the National Civil Rights Museum. The African American Museum is home to various videos, artifacts, and oral histories that all detail the experience of Black Americans from the days of slavery to how their life was under Jim Crow as well as the start and life of the Civil Rights Movement.

Visitors are given a chance to sit at the very lunch counter that Greensboro students used to stage sit-ins back in 1960 and also to go on a bus ride relieving Rosa Parks’s experience as the leader of the Montgomery bus boycott.

The Legacy Museum, Alabama

Montgomery was one of the leading hubs for the slave trade in the 19th century in Alabama. The Equal Justice Initiative in 2018 made it possible for Legacy Museum to open. It is built on a site that was once a slave warehouse and it is simply a few minutes’ walk from where was one of America’s busiest auction houses for slaves.

The name, ‘From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration’ is a true perception of the experience of black people in the United States. There are various artwork, videos, and exhibits that provide insights into the systematic inequalities that the black community faced and continues to face in the present day in this African American Museum.

The Studio Museum, Harlem, New York

The Studio Museum started as a small space that was above a store that sold liquor in 1968. Since then, they have managed to expand to a multi-million-dollar African American Museum that was opened in 2021. The aim of the museum which has always been to champion black art as well as culture has been a success.

The studio continues promoting various works of established as well as up-and-coming artists who have an African descent. Each year, the museum hosts one artist, and most of these artists who have been hosted in residence have managed to further their careers successfully. The permanent collection at the museum has a number of pieces which include prints, drawings, installations, and photographs that are all made by artists who are Black American and have African descent.

National Museum of African American Music, Nashville, Tennessee

This National Museum of African American Music museum was opened in 2021. The African American Museum shows how it is that various genres of music, not only in the United States but all around the world, are linked intrinsically to Black culture. The genres that are most popular in the U.S. such as country, blues, rock and roll, and jazz just to name a few can all be traced back to the Africans who were enslaved and had very strong musical traditions. This African American Museum houses more than one thousand five hundred artifacts, including B.B. King’s guitar.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

It is estimated that more than one hundred thousand people used the Underground Railroad to escape slavery. The dedicated abolitionists would provide onward passages as well as safe houses for the black people who sought refuge in Canada as well as states that were American free. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center has its main aim of celebrating and telling all the stories of people who risked their lives for justice. In this African American Museum, you will learn about heroic railroad agents such as Harriet Tubman.

The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Houston, Texas

This African American Museum is situated in Midtown Houston at the Houston Light Guard Armory. The main aim of the museum is to highlight the different stories of the black military soldiers who took part in fighting for their country. All through, they were oppressed and were even given the task of fighting off Native Americans who sought to reclaim their stolen lands. It is the Native Americans who named the soldiers, ‘Buffalo soldiers.’

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City, Missouri

This museum details stories of black baseball players who were forced to travel across the state as they refused to give in to the injustice that society was throwing at them trying to stop them from playing baseball. Visitors can stand next to the greatest black players of all time such as Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, and Buck O’Neil. They are also given the chance to watch how it is that Negro leagues came to life through a documentary by James Earl Jones.

Conclusion

Other than these popular African American museums whose main focus is usually the Civil Rights Movement as well as the history and legacy of slavery, various other smaller museum spaces focus on other African American heroes who may not be as popular and there are even others that focus on African American art. All these museums should however be among your places to visit as you will learn so much more about the history of African Americans and their heritage.

Are you thinking of banking with Citizens Bank? Explore the wide range of its features and advantages, and make a more informed decision today!

Citizens Financial Group, Inc., one of the country’s oldest and most important financial institutions, had $226.7 billion of assets as of June 30, 2022. 

Citizens, based in Providence, Rhode Island, offers a wide range of commercial and retail banking products and services to individuals as well as small businesses, middle-market and large corporations, and institutions. Citizens assists its customers in reaching their full potential by listening to their needs and providing tailored advice, solutions, and ideas.

Citizens Consumer Banking offers a seamless experience. It includes online and mobile banking, a 24-hour customer service center, and access to approximately 3300 ATMs. There are also approximately 1200 branches across 14 states in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions.

The full range of Banking, Savings, Wealth Management, and Small Business offerings is available through Citizens Commercial Banking offers a wide range of financial solutions and products, including lending, leasing, deposit management and treasury services.

Citizens also provides foreign exchange, interest rate, commodity risk management solutions. It also offers loan syndication and corporate finance capabilities. Visit www.citizensbank.com for more information.

1. Variety of Financial Solutions: Citizens Bank offers a variety of financial solutions, including personal banking and business banking solutions. They specialize in checking and savings accounts with various interest rates, and they provide lending solutions such as mortgages, home equity loans, auto loans, and student loans.

2. Online Banking: Stay organized and up to date with your finances through their online banking platform, which enables you to access your accounts from anywhere at any time. You can easily manage balance transfers and recurring payments from anywhere across all devices, like mobile phones or tablets.

3. Wealth Management Services: Among the services offered by Citizens Bank is wealth management assistance for long-term investing strategies and retirement planning guidance. They have experts to help you customize an individualized plan that is suited to your needs.

4. Small Business Account: For entrepreneurs looking to develop new businesses, Citizens Bank also has great tools available to kick start their venture, including small business account facilities with options for cash management such as credit lines and customized Treasury services.

5. Insurance Services: Get tailored insurance advisement under the experienced advisors at Citizens Bank who understand customers’ unique situations and offer them customized plans suitable for their preferences in life insurance, disability income protection, long-term care policies, etc.

6. Outstanding Customer Service: A hallmark feature of Citizens Bank is its dedication towards providing excellent customer service throughout the entire journey beginning from advice during planning options to helpful resources after your loan or account is opened or closed.

7. Local Presence: With close ties to many local markets lets you gain benefit from the strong roots established among regional communities due to decades of being active in the areas served in terms of providing financial support for professional growth or desire for enhanced quality of life through homeownership etc

Citizens supports community opportunities where funding can have a significant, measurable impact on the community.

Citizens Bank Contributions

Citizens focuses on three areas of funding, which support programs that:

• Fight Hunger reduce food insecurity by food banks and pantries
• Teach Money Management through financial literacy programs that give individuals and businesses the tools they need to be financially healthy.
• Strengthen Communities by economic development, job training, and small business development.

Our funding is focused on projects that benefit diverse and underserved communities and areas and show strong results. We are open to partnering with established 501(c),(3) organizations that have programs that align strongly with the above funding priorities.

Sponsorships

Citizens is open to sponsorships from many organizations. It encourages creativity, innovation, and collaborations that benefit both the bank and community organizations. Citizens is looking for sponsorships that provide memorable, valuable experiences for its customers and colleagues, as well as their communities.

Foundation Grants

Citizens has two Foundations: the Citizens Charitable Foundation, and the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation. These foundations were previously known as the Roma Bank Community Foundation. These foundations support nonprofit organizations that address the bank’s main giving areas, which are fighting hunger, financial empowerment, and strengthening communities through economic or workforce development.

Apply Process

Sponsorships and Contributions – All sponsorship and contribution applicants must take an eligibility test. This eligibility quiz will give you insight into your program or organization’s alignment with our funding goals. We receive many requests for funding and meeting our eligibility criteria doesn’t guarantee that you will be granted funding. If you pass the eligibility quiz, your application will be viewable.

Citizens Philanthropic Foundation Grants – Organizations seeking funding from the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation must submit a preliminary application data-cbdata-type=”link” href=”https://www.cybergrants.com/pls/cybergrants/ao_login.login?x_gm_id=2153&x_proposal_type_id=82502″ title=”preliminary application”>. At this time the CPF focuses the majority of its giving in the Metro New York and New Jersey areas. All applications will go through review and only those that align with our goals will move on to the next stage.

Your inquiry or application may take up three months to be processed.

For questions, please contact our Corporate Giving office at [email protected].

Citizens and its foundations don’t fund organizations that discriminate on the basis of age, race color, sex or religion.

The harmonica is also called the mouth organ or the French harp, and it is known to be a free reed wind instrument that is used worldwide in various genres of music, such as country, blues, classical music, and jazz. Harmonicas were first produced in the 19^th century, and they caught on quite fast due to just how complex they are and all the different tunes they can produce. 

While it is possible for anyone to pick up the harmonica and produce some tune, over the years, there have been individuals who have stood out as masters of the instrument, such as the ones below:

1. Little Walter

Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs, was born on the 1^st of May 1930. He was known to be a singer, musician, songwriter, and extraordinary harmonica artist whose approach to playing the instrument has greatly shaped how the harmonica has been played and perceived over generations. He left home at the young age of 12 and played alongside bluesmen such as Honeyboy Edwards. He would hold a microphone alongside his harmonica while connected to a speaker because he did not want to be overshadowed by other instruments. Little Walter released his first recordings in 1947. 1952 marked the year when he had one of his songs hit the Billboard R&B chart. Between this year and 1958, Walters managed to have fourteen of his songs as top-ten hits on the Billboard chart. Walters was in various bands, either leading or as a member part eventually ended up giving up on being in a band and hired various instrument players when the need arose. His induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was in 2008, and he became the only artist to ever be inducted only as a harmonica player.

2. James Cotton

James Cotton was born in Tunica, Mississippi, on the first of July 1935. Cotton’s career started in the 1950s when he released his first recordings under Sam Philip’s direction. In 1955, Muddy Waters recruited him and he moved to Chicago to join Muddy’s band as the band leader. He stayed with the band for ten years and then in 1965, created the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet. Otis Spann played the piano. James ended up forming his touring group that was full-time and had Mike Bloomfield produce his first full album. Cotton played harmonica in 1970 on the album Hard Again which became a Grammy Award-winning album in 1977. He died in March 2016.

3. Sony Boy Williamson

Sony Boy Williamson was a blues harmonica player born in 1912 and died in 1965. He was initially known as Aleck Miller before changing his name. Sony was a great harmonica player as well as a songwriter and singer. He had his first recording in 1951. Sony Boy toured Europe various times and recorded with various other musicians such as blues standard and Yardbirds. Because he adopted someone else’s name, he is known to as Sony Boy Williamson 2.

4. Junior Wells

Junior Wells was born on the 9^th of December 1934 in Memphis and died on the 15^th of January 1998. In 1948, Junior moved with his mother to Chicago, where he started performing with the Aces. He made his first recordings in 1952. On one of his album’s covers, Wells told the story of how he saw a harp at a pawn shop that he knew he had to get and after getting a job and being paid not enough money to get the harp, he still went and asked for the harp and took it without the owner’s consent. He was taken to court and when the judge had him play, he gave him the money he had been short of and dismissed the case. Wells recorded with other famous musicians such as Earl Hooker and Muddy Waters.

5. Sonny Terry

Sonny Terry, also known as Saunders Terrell, was born on the 24^th of October 1911 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was taught by his father how to play the blues harp growing up. When he was 16, he got injured and ended up becoming blind. This meant that he could not do farm work anymore and therefore had to resort to music to earn a living. Terry played alongside Brownie McGhee, and the duo recorded various songs together. In 1940, he recorded his very first commercials. Terry will always be remembered for his harmonica style, which was full of energy and included various hollers and vocal whoops and even, at times, had some imitations of fox hunts and trains.

6. DeFord Bailey

DeFord Bailey was born on the 14^th of December 1899 in Tennessee and died on the 2^nd of July 1982. Bailey contracted polio as a child, and while he was recovering, he learned how to play the harmonica. Bailey then moved in his late teenage years to Nashville, where he became an important contributor to the area’s music industry as he was part of the first generation of entertainers who performed on live radio. He performed and toured with various other artists in the 1930s. He got fired and was no longer able to perform until 1974. His induction to the Country Music Hall of Fame was in 2005.

7. Billy Boy Arnold

Billy Boy Arnold was born in 1935 in Chicago. He learned how to play the harmonica as a child from his neighbor. His debut recording was in 1952. Bo Diddley, a street musician, and Billy Boy Arnold became a duo and recorded together. He has released various songs and albums throughout his entire life and even got nominated for a Blues Music award in 2014.

How he plays exhibits a more aggressive approach in comparison to other players and has the best timing when playing solos.  

8. Stevie Wonder

Stevland Hardaway Morris, or simply Stevie Wonder, was born on the 13^th of May 1950 and has become a pioneer across various music genres such as soul, pop, jazz, and even funk. Wonder was born blind but was a prodigy. At the young age of 11, he signed with the Tamla label and got the name little Stevie. Stevie was the youngest artist to ever have his single top the Billboard Hot 100. He was just thirteen years old when it happened. His career peaked in the 1970s, and was able to secure the title of being the only artist who ever won the Grammy Award for album of the year thrice consecutively. Stevie has won 245 Grammy Awards and remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

9. Big Mama Thornton

Big Mama Thornton was born in 1926 in Alabama. She got signed in 1952 and recorded ‘Hound Dog’, which was her biggest hit as it stayed on the first place Billboard R&B chart for seven weeks straight. She was one of the first female harmonica players on stage and broke down barriers for female musicians everywhere.

10. Phil Wiggins

Phil Wiggins was born in Washington, DC, on the 8^th of May, 1954. In his teen years, he played at a festival with a street singer. He then became a duo with John Cephas, and together, they performed for thirty-two years. They received various awards together and even had a performance at the white house. Phil continues to teach in artists’ workshops and also holds a role in the National Council for Traditional Arts.

Conclusion

The harmonica may not be the most popular musical instrument, but it is magical. The list of great masters of this art does not end here, as there are countless other great artists in the world. We can all agree, however, that those on this list deserve all the hype that has been given to them over the many years.

The Black music genres have been a driving force in American culture for decades. From the blues to hip-hop, black musicians have been shaping the sound of popular music since its inception. Today we will talk about black music genres.

Black people make up 13% of America’s population but produce more than half of all recorded music sales. 

That statistic alone speaks volumes about how influential black artists are in the world of pop culture and entertainment. 

This article will explore ten popular genres (and subgenres) that have their roots firmly planted within the African-American community.

Hip-Hop Music Genre

Hip-hop is a music genre that originated in the Bronx, New York. It developed as part of hip-hop culture, which began in the 1970s among African-American and Latino youth in the South Bronx. 

The first recorded use of the word “hip hop” or “hip-hop” was in a song called “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang, released in 1979.

Hip-hop was associated with breakdancing and graffiti art as it gained popularity throughout different communities around New York City and beyond. 

Many famous rappers rapped about their experiences growing up as young black men living in poverty or struggling with racial discrimination, like Grandmaster Flash (born Joseph Saddler), Afrika Bambaataa (born Kevin Donovan) and many more. 

R&B Music Genre

R&B stands for Rhythm and Blues. It is a musical category that originated in the 1940s. The style of R&B music is characterized by a strong rhythm and blues influence, which was influenced by gospel music, jazz and even some country music. R&B encompasses various styles, including soul, funk, disco and rock ‘n roll.

Trap Music Genre

Trap music is a category of hip-hop and a music genre that originated in the Southern United States and is associated with southern hip-hop. 

Its aggressive lyrical content and sound typify it, incorporating synthesizers, slow 808 beats, and heavy bass. 

Since its introduction to mainstream culture in 2009, Trap has been written extensively on the Internet, and several artists have claimed to have invented the genre.

Jazz Music Genre

It is a music genre in the US during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It began as a fusion of African rhythms and European instruments but has evolved into a new genre. 

Jazz music has been characterized by improvisation and syncopation, or irregular beats. These elements can be heard throughout jazz history.

Jazz spread quickly around Europe after it was introduced by American military bands stationed abroad in World War I; today, many countries worldwide have unique jazz music styles.

Blues Music Genre

Blues is a form of music from the African-American community and has been played by many artists.

It is a style of music that originated in the Deep South of the United States and has been played by many artists.

Neo-Soul Music Genre

Neo-soul is a subgenre of R&B and soul music. Neo-soul artists began to emerge in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

The term “neo-soul” was coined by Kedar Massenburg, founder of the Motown Records label, with which most artists have been associated.

Neo-soul evolved from African Americans‘ rhythm and blues and gospel music traditions. 

It rose as a distinct genre in the mid-1990s through the work of groups such as D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill (who has been described as “the high priestess of neo-soul”), Maxwell (a singer), Jill Scott, Angie Stone (another singer), Bilal (an artist) and Musiq Soulchild (yet another).

Rock and Roll Music Genre

Rock and roll is a music genre that came to the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, focusing on the electric guitar. 

It emerged from blending various musical genres of the time, including rhythm and blues, gospel, country and western, boogie-woogie, and calypso.

Rock and roll take its name from rhythm & blues (R&B). This style emerged in African American communities in 1948 with elements taken from boogie-woogie music characterized by frequent improvisation or “swinging”, energetic vocals and a focus on instrumental soloing. 

Artists developed the genre, like Louis Jordan, who combined blues influences with gospel choir elements such as handclapping rhythms to produce his unique sound for mainstream audiences.

BeBop Music Genre

The music genre BeBop is a type of jazz music popular in the 1940s and 1950s. BeBop was developed by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and other musicians.

BeBop was instrumental in the development of modern jazz. BeBop is characterized by fast tempos and improvised melodies with complex chord progressions. 

In addition to its influence on jazz, BeBop also influenced other genres such as rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm & blues.

Gospel Music Genre

Gospel is a Christian music genre in which the lyrics focus on the life of Jesus Christ, emphasizing his suffering, death, and resurrection. It developed as a hybrid of gospel and blues music, and Thomas A. Dorsey made the first recording in 1932. It was also known as “Negro church music” or just “gospel” and has been sung ever since.

The origins of the gospel can be traced back to when enslaved people would sing songs while they worked in fields or cotton mills. 

To these enslaved people, singing was a form of expressing their faith, and they hoped that God would one day bring them freedom. 

The songs were sung around campfires at night or during Sunday church services.

Country Music Genre

The country music genre is a type of music that originated in the southern United States. Country music is a fusion of folk and popular music and is also considered an American roots genre. 

It’s traditionally characterized by its lyrics, which often include stories about working-class or rural life.

The blues, gospel, and folk genres influenced the country. In turn, it has changed many other genres, including rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop music, and pop culture. 

More generally speaking, fashion and lifestyle choices such as trucker hats or overalls are being worn as casual wear today (which were once seen only on country singers).

Black music is black culture.

Black music is a reflection of black culture. Black music reflects the African diaspora, which makes up more than 20% of the world’s population and spans many countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. 

Black music is also a reflection of the African American experience. This community has been marginalized and oppressed throughout history but has always found ways to create art through its struggles.

Black artists use their music to voice their experiences and tell stories about their lives; this includes issues like racism and police brutality, as well as everyday events such as falling in love or having children.

Conclusion

Black music has a long history of inspiring and influencing artists worldwide, and the range of genres we have today is evidence that this trend will continue for years to come. 

Some of today’s most popular songs are based on much older musical styles from Africa or other parts of the world. 

This is why it’s essential to understand where these songs came from before enjoying them as intended – listening while dancing or playing an instrument.

Below are ten of some of the greatest black YouTube musicians: In this current era where there are very many rising musicians, one would think that the music industry is oversaturated.

However, black musicians are continuously growing in terms of representation and that is very commendable. Musicians upload their songs onto various platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and YouTube. While these musicians also enjoy major chart success they also have phenomenal Youtube success. Below are ten of some of the greatest black YouTube musicians:

Beyonce

Born on the 4^th of September 1981, Beyonce is known to be a producer, songwriter, singer, and actress. As a child, she was involved in various dancing and singing competitions as she always had a passion for the music industry. Beyonce’s climb to fame started in the 1990s with the girl group called Destiny’s Child where she was the lead singer.

The group is known to be among the best-selling girl groups of all time. Her debut album in 2003 called Dangerously in love was able to have some of the singles make it to the US Billboard Hot 100.

The group disbanded in 2006 and Beyonce released her second album, B’Day, this same year. Two years later, she released her third album, I am Sasha Fierce which won her six grammy awards in 2010.

Since then, she has released more albums such as 4, Beyonce, Lemonade, and her latest release is Renaissance. Lemonade was the world’s best-selling album in 2016 and remains to be the most acclaimed album of her career.

Beyonce has 25 million subscribers on YouTube with her videos getting millions of views. She has managed to sell more than 160 records worldwide and remains one of the best-selling recording artists in the world.

The Weeknd

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, also known as the Weeknd was born on the 16^th of February 1990. He began his career in 2009 by releasing music anonymously on YouTube. In 2011, he was a co-founder of a record label called XO and released various mixtapes such as Thursday, Echoes of Silence, and House of Balloons which got a lot of recognition.

He got signed to Republic Records and has since released albums such as Kiss Land, Beauty Behind the Madness, and Starboy which both won grammies for being the best urban contemporary albums and After Hours. With 29.4 million subscribers on YouTube and over 75 million records sold, it is not a wonder that he is one of the best-selling music artists in the world.

Drake

Born on the 24^th of October 1986, Aubrey Drake Graham has become an important influential figure in contemporary music. He signed into Young Money Entertainment and released his first albums between 2010 and 2013 which were all successful.

In 2016, he released his fourth album, Views, which remained at the top of the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks. A record that had not been made by a male artist in more than a decade. He has also released an album in 2022, Honestly Nevermind. He is considered to be one of the highest-certified singles musicians in the U.S and has sold more than 170 million records with 26.9 million subscribers on YouTube.

Wiz Khalifa

Cameron Jibril Thomas or Wiz Khalifa was born on the 8^th of September 1987. His first debut album was in 2006. He signed into Atlantic Records in 2010. He has had his singles top the Top 40 singles chart.

He has collaborated with various renowned artists and even released the soundtrack for Furious 7 which made it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for more than 12 weeks. With 26.5 million subscribers on YouTube, Wiz continues to be one of the greatest musicians in the industry.

Nicki Minaj

Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty or Nicki was born on the 8^th of December 1982. She began getting recognition between 2007 and 2009 with her mixtapes. Her first album was released in 2010 and topped the Billboard 200 chart in America. Anaconda, which is a single from Pinkprint, became the first solo female rap music video to get a billion views on YouTube. With more than 100 million records sold and 24.7 million subscribers on YouTube, she remains to be one of the most influential rappers in the world.

Cardi B

Born on the 11^th of October 1992, Cardi started making a name for herself on Instagram as well as Vine. She released her first album in 2018 and it got to first place on Billboard 200.

She became the only woman to win a Grammy Award for Best rap album as a solo artist. With 18.6 million subscribers on YouTube, she has also been recognized by Forbes to be one of the most influential female rappers of all time. Among the various record she holds are; being the female rapper with the highest number of singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and the female rapper holding the most diamond-certified songs.

Lil Nas X

Also known as Montero Lamar, Lil Nas X was born on the 9^th of April 1999. His country-inspired rap single Old Town Road in 2019 rose him to fame and even got him diamond certified the same year.

The single spent 19 weeks on top of the U.S Billboard Hot 100. He has since released other debut albums and was nominated for various Grammies and was able to win two for the Best Music Video as well as the best Pop/Duo Performance. With 18.6 million subscribers on YouTube, Lil Nas continues to amaze the music industry.

Chris Brown

Born on the 5^th of May 1989, Christopher Brown is known to be one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation. He released his debut studio album in 2005 which was certified triple platinum. He got another double platinum certification for his 2017 album, Heartbreak on a full moon. Having 23.6 million subscribers on YouTube and having sold more than 197 million records, he is one of the best-selling music artists in the whole world.

Kendrick Lamar

Born on the 17^th of June 1987, Kendrik has been known to be one of the most influential rappers of his generation. His first release in 2010 got him recognition. All of his albums have been certified as platinum or higher and has managed to get 14 Grammy awards alongside many other awards.

Three of his studio albums were included in the list for Rolingstone of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2020. He has 11.4 million subscribers on YouTube and has sold more than 70 million records in the U.S alone.

Lil Wayne

Also known as Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., Lil Wayne was born on the 27^th of September 1982. He started his career at the age of 12 when he got signed by Birdman.

His solo breakthrough was in 1999 with his debut album Tha Block Is Hot. Tha Carter 111 won the best rap album Grammy. He has since released several albums. He has won five Grammy Awards, 4 Billboard Music Awards, and 11 BET Awards among others. He has sold more than 120 million records worldwide and has 11.4 million subscribers on YouTube.

So you’ve got a great idea and want to start a business. Whether it’s full-time or part-time, or just a hobby, there are certain things you want to take care of right away.  Then you will save a lot of time and money in the long term. Here are a few tips for you to consider before getting your business completely off the ground.

Fictitious business name

Check with your state and see how to create a fictitious business name. This is how you will be able to open your bank account. It’s more misleading than it sounds. It could be your actual business name, but for whatever reason, they label it “fictitious” or DBA (doing business as)

Study the Taxes in your State

Another very important factor you want to pay close attention to is taxes. Some various cities and states are very entrepreneur-friendly other states are not California; for example, it is extremely expensive to run a business. New York and other big cities are, too; however, in places like Texas, Florida, Delaware, and Vegas, you can start a business and not pay state taxes which is why many people have businesses in those locations.

EIN Number

One of the essential things you want to do immediately is to get an EIN to register your business. 

This is a way the federal government can identify your business. It’s like a social security number but for your business. You can apply for it here.  Talk to an accountant about the best way to apply for your application as a sole proprietor,  S-Corp, etc. If you can’t afford an accountant, you can hire a monthly service like Legal Zoom for a small monthly fee to help you out with this and other aspects of your business, like trademarking.

Bank account

Once you get your bank account, you already want to have the EIN in place. 

I would suggest doing an online bank account where you can get a debit card, you’re going to save in fees, and you’ll make more money with your savings than a brick-and-mortar bank, which rarely offers anything substantial. 

If you have a savings account and they charge your checking account each month at the beginning of your business, do you want to save as much money as possible, so it’s for some of these banks as a suggestion to save money and do it online

Domain name

Having a domain name for your business name is very important. A website indicates that you are serious about having and running a business. In addition, it solidifies your email extension; People will not take you seriously if you have a gmail.com email extension and are trying to do business. 

You want to make sure your name or business is easy to remember, not too long, and that is related to whatever it is you’re doing. 

Unfortunately, that can be a little complicated since there are people who sit around all day long buying domain names so they can sell them for profit. 

The good thing is they are different extensions besides .com, so if you can’t find your domain name as a .com, you may be able to find it under that .inc or .net, etc.  Don’t make your domain name too complicated or too long to where someone may make a spelling mistake and never reach your site.

Website

This is another necessary expense. How will people know about your company? Sure, you can have a Facebook or IG page, but you want a landing page where they can learn about your company.

 Full Disclosure again, it does NOT cost $5000 to build a website unless you want something extremely elaborate and flashy, which can be a trigger for some people who are sensitive to light and flashes. 

You can find someone on Fiverr to build your website for a reasonable fee. I would suggest looking for someone in the states but check their ratings and reviews. Make sure there are not a lot of upcharges and ask what the fee will be for changes in the future if you need them. Make sure you change the access to your website as soon as it’s completed. 

ONLY YOU need access to your site until you can establish a trustworthy working relationship with the designer.

 If you use them again, give them the new login info and when they are finished, change the login info again. 

Make your login password a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols to help prevent hackers from logging on to your site and taking over. Also, make sure you sign up with a host like Bluehost or Inmotion hosting, and make sure they do backups of your site. 

Short-Term Business Plan

You need to know where you’re going with your business. This is a mistake I made early on; I just kind of went with the flow. That’s a mistake, and it’s like being in the middle of the ocean with a boat and no sense of direction.  you have to figure out where you want to land.

There used to be a time when it was suggested people do a 5-year business plan, but with technology today, I don’t think that’s realistic. 

Today, I suggest doing a quarterly business plan or at least once a year.  and I would write it out with a pencil. That increases your chances of getting there much faster.

Having a Schedule

When you first start your business, you will work an incredible amount of hours, which may lead to months after, but you will be amazed at how it never feels like “work” because you enjoy what you’re doing. 

To be a successful business owner, there are other things you have to take care of besides your passion. These are things that can be learned, and eventually, you can hire someone part-time to do some of these things, but the one thing about your own business is it is totally up to you to make sure everything within the business is aligned correctly. 

 So you need to know a little about how to do a lot. I strongly suggest creating a schedule for yourself in the beginning as to how you know work and when you will end at a specific time. 

Training yourself early is a good idea so that your entire life is not consumed with your business and you miss out on other things, like spending time with family, your significant other, and friends. 

As I stated, you would be working a lot of extra hours, but you have to be able to take a break. You don’t want to overwork yourself even though that’s not guaranteed; it’s a good idea to set a schedule and then plan out what you need to accomplish the next day by writing it out. 

Even if it’s on a sticky note that you put on your computer, just make sure you have at least five things that you need to take care of the next day before you wrap the day.

Budget

This is tricky, especially for new entrepreneurs who generally don’t have a lot of start-up capital. Still, there are certain things you will need a budget for, such as marketing, press releases, subscriptions to services, and paying other people or paying for certain things. 

It’s always a good idea to have some money before you start, preferably between five and $10,000 if you can afford it. 

Trademark

You don’t want to get caught up in this concept and want your business to start. You would hate it if you’re business went and someone trademarked your name, and you can no longer use it. 

Then your whole branding concept will be a wash. Full disclosure you can try to do it yourself or hire a company. I will warn you a lot of people who say they can do your trademark are full of it they’ll charge you a fee, and they keep charging more and more and more fees as time goes on, and you could end up as people I know spending $6000 for something that should cost less than $1000. 

Make sure you check the references from anyone who says they could do it, and be very wary of emails you get from people soliciting you. Often, lawyers play bait and switch games by hiring hourly people to solicit people who have what is called “office actions,” which means your trademark did not go through. 

It could be for a simple reason or something more complicated. If you initially do it, they love office actions because this is how they lure you, and they know you don’t have time, so they’ll say they can complete it for you and you’ll agree to it. 

Months will pass, and then they will hit you with another bill to finish everything, and then another one. It can be a real sleazy situation. 

I would strongly suggest trying to do it yourself initially and making sure you do all the reading so that you don’t make any mistakes because it can be very frustrating to play these games with attorneys who will just rip you off. You will find the two most valuable assets in your business are your time and your money, and you will not take kindly to the many people who are more than willing to waste both.

Press release

You should be building your social media, which should be pretty healthy at this point, and you want to do a press release to announce your business. 

You can hire someone to do it in the states. I do emphasize the states because people outside of the states, except Kenya, have had a lot of good fortune because they are very close to the American educational system. 

They write pretty well, and you’re going to get it a lot cheaper than you would in the states but hiring somebody from another country, there’s going to be a lot of typos that are going to be hard to understand. Do you want to announce your business? 

So I press release would be necessary, and you want to talk about the services you offer, where you are located, if you have a brick-and-mortar location, or how they can find your website and encourage people to share the information on your social media.

Start over

After you get through with all of this, be prepared to review it in a few months to ensure you are on point. 

You must ensure everything is up to par when running a business.  it is extremely easy to have a lot of things on your list that never gets done, and time can go by, and it can also be costly. So every few months, review your list and make sure you doing everything you need to do

People offering you help

If you want to know if you are successful or even on the right track, there is one sure sign. 

People come out of the woodwork offering to work with you or help you and your business. My mother always says everybody looks out for themselves, and she is right. They are not trying to help you as much as they are trying to help themselves to what you created. If they are a good fit and bring something to the table, that’s fine but do your due diligence. 

Know that they want to jump on board after you have done all the grunt work and get on the ride. As I said, if they are sincere, they may benefit you but beware and double-check if they’re qualified. 

Also, many people will see your success and want to separate you from your money and not do the work. Trust me, I’ve been through it a lot, from hiring writers who copied from other websites after being told not to do it to other things I take responsibility for because I should’ve checked their work. Trust must be EARNED, not given away freely. Your business is your baby. Protect it. 

Whenever you bring anybody on board, I suggest you double and triple check their work to ensure it’s up to par and make sure they are who they say they are. People are good at selling themselves when they are in need, but it should be costly to you or your business. If their work is not up to par, refuse to pay them until it’s done correctly. A great way to avoid confusion, write down precisely what you want them to do and have them sign it. I have learned this lesson the hard way.

They pretty much sum it up with the things you need to do and be aware of at the start of your business everything else involving passion and going to seminars and other things is also essential, but that’s another story. 

 These are crucial first steps to getting your business off the ground. Let me know if you have any questions, and feel free to comment below, and I will respond.

My name is Kevin Ross, and I am a CEO. I have a site called Radio Facts. I became an entrepreneur many years ago. I saw very few black-owned businesses in the industry.

Radio Facts is a music industry trade publication. In doing an industry trade, I have created other businesses like this one, Black Top 10s. The point is once you create a business, you can create another business from that business and so on. The sky is the limit. Where do you see a hole? What is your passion and what you want for your future are all critical questions to ask before starting a business.

I’ve been in business for 26 years now and would not have it any other way. Entrepreneurs don’t often get recognized or honored, but it depends on how you play the game.

Most entrepreneurs are operating in their passions; they have little time for politics or making appearances at events unless that’s part of what you do as an entrepreneur, and that’s fine because you’re free. No award can compete with that reward.

Once You Know, you Know!

Once you learn how to run a business, you can stop or start, keep going and run another business. I strongly suggest doing so because you WILL get tired of doing a business around the seven-year mark.

You are not dependent on corporations or paychecks but on enjoying what you do, and as the old saying goes, if you love what you do, the money will come.

The MOST money will come because you don’t have to share it with anybody. Ironically, all of my close friends are also entrepreneurs. You will realize entrepreneurs are a unique group of people.

We always encourage each other, have the most incredible conversations, and have lunch and dinners many times, and we’re all successful. Entrepreneurs are in a class by themselves and rarely (truly) understood.

I don’t have a hard time showing younger people who want to get into it how to do it as well as long as they are willing to put in the hustle (not work).

Some people say everyone can’t be an entrepreneur, and that’s correct, especially if your focus is on making a lot of money. That’s almost an immediate recipe for failure because it’s not sustainable without passion.

I started my business out of anger. I was tired of being fired from radio jobs. I’d move to a city where I didn’t know anyone, then a year later, I was fired, lived out of a suitcase, and ended up in many places I didn’t want to live. Then I had to start the whole process over. A lot of DJs experience this early in their careers.

Then after moving to Los Angeles, a place I had wanted to live since I was a kid, I started my business, and after being in it for about five years, I realized I didn’t like doing radio anyway.

I did it because I could do it but not because I wanted to. Sound familiar? That’s what many people face every day in their 9 to 5 grind for the most part. For me, radio was not a career, it was a job, and there is a difference.

I love music and the business, but I wasn’t a radio guy. So being mistreated by a station in LA towards the end of my career was actually to my advantage because I wrote about it thinking I was just eliminating stress. Still, it ended up being the best thing I did.

I emailed that letter that I titled “Radio Fax” out to some friends in the industry who, unbeknownst to me, sent it out to a lot of other people, and many of them agreed with what I was saying, and a magazine was born, that’s the quick version, and that was 26 years ago. That’s my story, what’s yours?

Are you an entrepreneur? Generally, there are tell-tale signs, and I will tell you a few of them here. I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts.

You enjoy a hobby that you’re very good at

Whatever we spend the most time doing when we have free time is generally what we love doing the most.

You may immensely enjoy Blues music, primarily classic Blues music. You may even be an aficionado of sorts when it comes to Blues music, and you’d be surprised at how many other people of all ages also love Blues music in many countries. What if you did a podcast or a blog about Blues music?

You may enjoy helping older people with shopping, keeping them company, driving them around, and spending time with them. Caregiving is one of the most stressful and challenging things for most people to do as parents get older.

Many people will be more than willing to pay you to help out.

If you enjoy making cheesecakes and experimenting with different cheesecakes, and people enjoy your cheesecakes and look forward to you making them, this is a potential business.

I once knew someone who charged $75 per cheesecake. He would take them to work at the gas company with people would always look forward to his creations. After a while, he spent his entire weekends making cheesecakes and loved doing it.

But, like most people, he feared leaving his job security at the gas company even though he didn’t like it.

People ask you to do your hobby, and they’re willing to pay you for it

Continuing to use this person, I was talking about who makes the cheesecakes. His coworkers would ask him if he could try different versions like Peach Cobbler Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Lemon Cream Cheesecake, Pound Cake Cheesecake, and other recipes.

He was always curious to see how it turned out. They usually turned out very well. After a while, people were willing to pay him to make specific cheesecakes every weekend.

It feels like you’re not working whenever you do this hobby because you enjoy it so much.

When you see people living in their passion and doing what they want to do, it’s like not working at all. You will often hear actors say, “I’m so blessed to be working and doing something that I love.”

If you’ve ever been on the set of a movie, you would see that for someone who doesn’t enjoy it might be boring as all hell, hours and hours and hours of hurrying up and waiting, but this is what they love doing. The ends justify the means.

Moreover, I’ve seen people who want to be behind the scenes running their businesses as producers, directors, or photographers. You can also enjoy it just as much.

But the sky is the limit for producers and directors, for example, because they are not waiting for anyone to give them a job. They are usually fielding jobs, especially when they’re good at it.

You can spend all day doing the thing that you love

When you love what you doing, it never feels like work. That’s how you know you’re living in your truth. If being creative is what you enjoy, you could do this all day and all night versus putting windshield wipers on cars in a factory which doesn’t take a lot of skill and may pay well, but it’s not what you want to do

You find that you’re very relaxed and content and happy when you’re doing this thing

You’re at your greatest peace when you do whatever you enjoy doing. You look up, it’s 2 o’clock, and it seems like a few minutes later you look at the clock again, and it’s 9 o’clock. As the old saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun but also flies when you’re doing what you want to do in life.

You feel like it’s a natural fit, and it doesn’t take much effort to do this.

Whatever the thing is that you love to do that you’re very good at, it feels effortless, like you don’t have to learn much because it’s something that comes to you very easy you may even take advantage of it and people may be in awe at how well you do it.

My mother is a great artist, and I remember as a child watching grown men cry when they saw the pictures that she did for them of their mothers or whoever else.

Even though I have been blessed with the same talent, I don’t have the patience it was great learning how to be an entrepreneur from here, and I don’t think that was even her intention; she just loves to draw.

If you could make a living doing this one thing, you’d quit your job in a minute.

Most people are afraid to take the leap and start their own business, but at some point, if you’re doing something you love, like another friend who likes to make soap, enough people are coming in saying hey can you make it for me?

Either you’re going to get exhausted or you’re going to realize that there’s an opportunity here for you to start a business, and you’ll never have any freedom like you will when you run your own business.

I will not lie; sure, there will be ups and downs, but the highs are very high, and the lows are not that low.

Having a special skill is not enough because everything depends on your hustle.

Whatever you loved doing as a child is probably what you’d be good at as an adult unless it were jumping rope or Breakdancing.

Yeah, that may not fit well into your schedule if you’re in your 50s, but who knows? You could start a club of 50+ people who enjoy breakdancing, LOL.

If it weren’t for not having money, opinions of others, or Struggling … You would do it in a minute.

Once you take all of the fear out of it, if you give it some thought, you probably would jump onboard into the thing you want to do without giving it much more thought, and it will undoubtedly be a well-lived life.

You can start small, do it part-time in the evenings and on weekends to test it out. It’s wise to go from point A to point B and not just quit A FOR B before you get it off the ground.

Are you an entrepreneur? We will just have to wait and see, won’t we?

The in-person conference will feature global brands, world class speakers and business leaders. Sponsors include Google, Disney, Northwestern Mutual, Bridgewater Consulting, Ally Bank, Block, TIAA, CapTech Ventures, Red Ventures, Intuit, ADP, Spotify, and many more.

The 50 plus speaker lineup will be led by writer, activist, comedian, and techie, Baratunde Thurston­, author of the New York Times bestseller How To Be Black and host of television series Lenovo Late Night I.T. and PBS’s America Outdoors.

 “This year we will emphasize three pillars: meaningful networking, career advancement, and actionable learning. The balance we want to strike is 40% block party 60% tech conference,” according to Dennis Schultz, Executive Director of the Blacks In Technology Foundation. “I want every attendee to walk away with knowledge they can immediately apply… and have fun in the process.”

Greg Greenlee, Founder of Blacks In Technology says, “After 2 years of not having in person events, I am extremely excited that this year’s BITCON will be a hybrid conference. There is no replacement for the in-person engagement experience and BITCON has always been the perfect safe space for our community to interact.”

This year BIT anticipates over 1,000 attendees. Onsite, there will be dozens of workshops, training sessions, technology demos, leadership conversations, and technical talks for beginners and experts alike. Topics and tracks include Web 3, cryptocurrency, NFTs, metaverse, AI & ML, gaming & e-sports, cloud/DevOps, cybersecurity, data science, social responsibility, government policy, career development, entrepreneurship, and professional storytelling.

Additionally, attendees can participate in one of the largest in person career fairs for diverse tech talent, join a gaming tournament with a $5,000 grand prize, or enter a startup pitch competition with a $10,000 in non-dilutive funding.

Author, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and BITCON 2022 speaker Arlan Hamilton adds, “Conferences like BITCON are important for those marginalized and underestimated in tech. If we aren’t invited to have a seat at the table, we need to build our own tables.”

Multiple BITCON attendee and Agile Coach, Alex Bernardin, adds, “I support BITCON and the BIT community because it’s the support network that I didn’t have when I was coming up.”

Born in Los Angeles, California to an immigrant mother from Guatemala and African-American father. At the age of 7, Benaisha became a latch key kid, walking home from school, past gang members, drug dealers, and prostitutes through the streets of South-Central Los Angeles’s Crenshaw District. Early on, she was exposed to losing many classmates and in the 6^th grade experienced her first friend being killed by gang violence.

At the age of 17, she completed high school early with honors, took a weekend off and started college where she went on to complete a Bachelors in Criminal Justice, a Double Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Political Management from George Washington University and a Law Degree from the University of Maryland. By age 19, Benaisha became a Mom working 50 hours+ a week to make a better life for her child, in various jobs such as joining the Military, becoming a Flight Attendant, and working in Law Enforcement (United States Air Force for 9 years).

Today, Benaisha Poole-Watson is known throughout the country as being listed in the Top 1% of Realtors in America with over 400 homes sold a year. Benaisha has been recognized as a Real Estate Investor, Developer, and Builder of Custom Homes and also the Owner of The Bailey-Watson Real Estate Group with licensed Agents across the nation.

Benaisha is the proud owner of her own Federally Chartered Bank, Prime One Lending Group/Prime One Home Loans, where she is operating as a Direct Lender. Prime One Home Loans is a direct lender, Fannie Mae approved.

Benaisha Poole Watson Quick Facts:
-Sells 400+ homes yearly (for the past 3.5-4 years)
-Has realtors all over the nation, every state
-Is in the top 1% of realtors in America
-Owns her own bank, Prime One Home Loans
-Member of National Association of Real Estate Brokers (only Black Female in leadership)
-Gives back to her community and helps educate and sponsor activities to enrich the community
-Is a renowned speaker centered around Women’s Interests, Real Estate, Mortgages and Lending
-Military Veteran

BlackOakTV, One of the Few Truly Black-Owned Streaming Platforms, Partners With Content Creators to Bring Black Viewers Unapologetically Black Content

Over 75% of the 46 million Black people in the U.S. say they want more content that targets them, but recent studies show Black people are still underrepresented as both creators and leads in TV and film. This gap between the supply and demand for Black-focused content has resulted in Hollywood leaving $10 billion of value on the table by not addressing the demands of Black viewers. 

BlackOakTV, a subscription video platform exclusively targeting Black viewers, relaunches this summer with the expressed-intent of filling that gap and fulfilling the needs of Black viewers looking for more content that reflects their lives and experiences. In a streaming era in which major platforms often pigeonhole Black content and creators, BlackOakTV is creating a destination where Black viewers can consume all-Black content, all the time.

BlackOakTV continues to bet on Black culture by creating an equitable platform for indie talent while delivering unique, high-quality, character-driven content to its consumers.

In designing their future for streaming, Black founders Uzo Ometu and Iyanu Obidele created BlackOakTV for Black people, in partnership with Black creators. BlackOakTV offers one of the few truly Black-owned streaming services that’s hosted on its own proprietary platform. In addition, the SVOD platform showcases enticing original TV and film content, a sleek design and user interface, and soon to come, community features that allow users to better engage with the platform’s content and creators.

During the current streaming wars where every SVOD platform wants to come out on top, many companies are making tough economic decisions to cope with rising overhead costs. These financial cuts usually come at the expense of diversity initiatives and programming. While many SVOD platforms make cuts to their diversity teams, BlackOakTV continues to bet on Black culture by creating an equitable platform for indie talent while delivering unique, high-quality, character-driven content to its 20k and counting consumers.

As BlackOakTV seeks to differentiate itself in a crowded SVOD market where competition for content is fierce, the founders make a point to provide content creators with the opportunities to keep the rights to their intellectual property and opt for equity in lieu of cash compensation, if they so choose. With this rare approach to content acquisition, BlackOakTV has been able to partner with YouTube sensations like Dormtainment, Bigg Jah and Ayona the Artist, as well as with more traditional filmmakers and comedians like Shana A. Solomon and Barry Brewer.

When asked why consumers should join the BlackOakTV platform, founder Uzo Ometu says: “There are maybe a handful of Black creators that get the funding and autonomy to create the unapologetically Black shows they know their fans want to see. As a result, it’s Black viewers that get shortchanged. In the long-run, we’re creating a home for Black creators to get that backing, so that Black viewers can finally have a destination that gives them the characters and stories they want to watch.

Understanding the history and ups and downs of Black content in America, BlackOakTV aims to leverage streaming technology, partnership with Black creators, and the unparalleled engagement of Black consumers to make sure this era of Black creativity is not just another fad abused by mainstream media, but instead a time where quality Black content is here to stay for good.

To view exclusive and newly-released shows, like “First Dates” created by Talibah Newman and “Ms/Manage” created by Caralene Robinson, visit BlackOakTV or download the app today and sign up for a free trial on any device!

Follow BlackOak TV on Instagram, Youtube, Twitter and TikTok!