BLK ON THE SCENE - NEW EPISODES EVERY WEDNESDAY!

🎙️ Dive into the electrifying world of Hollywood success with actor Greg Tarzan Davis in the Season Five kick-off episode of BLK on the Scene. From uncovering his origins of growing up in New Orleans, LA and his unique moniker to sharing intimate reflections on the impact of his background on his career, Greg Tarzan Davis is a star on the rise having appeared in the hit TV show Grey’s Anatomy to two back-to-back blockbuster movies TOP GUN: MAVERICK and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING. He takes listeners on a captivating journey filled with triumphs, challenges and invaluable insights.

Through candid discussions on how Denzel Washington inspired him to become an actor, his “I don’t get tired - I can’t get tired” work ethic, navigating hidden fees in the industry, and addressing gaps in traditional acting education, Davis offers a wealth of wisdom for aspiring talents. Reflecting on the power of manifesting and beliefs, he emphasizes the importance of resilience, determination, and community support in achieving success.

Closing with heartfelt words of motivation, Davis leaves listeners inspired to embark on their own journey of self-discovery and artistic exploration. Tune in now to BLK on the Scene and join the conversation! Be sure to subscribe, leave a review and rating.🎬✨

This week’s episode features one of our hosts' favorite people, Jonathan Kirkland. Kirkland as we like to call him is one of the most creative individuals, his brain works in such a unique way and as he says, he has always been smart. Growing up in Connecticut, he never loved hearing the word and has always been someone who pushes limits. From New York to Los Angeles to now Dallas, Kirkland has been a disruptor in his career and he takes us on a fun journey full of laughs, life lessons and an attempt at a run for Mayor of Los Angeles. From his young 20’s to now being Head of Marketing & Brand at BLK, Kirkland will keep you entertained on this amazing episode of BLK on the Scene. Tap in to learn more about Kirkland and his wonderful journey. 

Thank you for listening to Blk on the Scene. We hope that you will tune in for more exciting guests and conversations from this season. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review and rating.

Episode Mentions:

From a little boy growing up in Chocolate City to a distinguished and influential change agent in Hollywood, John Gibson the first Vice President of the Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion program is blazing trails across the entertainment industry. He works across all of the major motion picture studios, TV networks and streamers where he strategizes and cultivates key partnerships with over 50 leading organizations such as the American Black Film Festival, Atlanta Film Society, Georgia Latino Film Festival, New York Latino Film Festival and the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program, of whose advisory boards he serves on and many other groups working tirelessly to promote gender equality, diversity and inclusion, and ‘authentic’ cultural representation. Additionally, he oversees multicultural initiatives, while also managing the MPA’s partnerships with national civil rights, non-profits, and multicultural groups as part of the association’s outreach to leading third-party organizations. John takes hosts DeDe and Jon on his very circuitous journey from real estate and politics to the entertainment industry where his passion for equity, civil rights and keen sense of diplomacy have prepared him to gracefully navigate the precarious waters of championing DEI in entertainment. 

Tap in to learn more about John and his mission to help make the industry look like the community it aims to serve. 

Thank you for listening to Blk on the Scene. We hope that you will tune in for more exciting guests and conversations from this season. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review and rating.

Episode Mentions:

Right in time for CultureCon LA, we are thrilled to welcome the CEO and Founder of CultureCon and The Creative Collective, Imani Ellis on this week’s episode. 

If you’ve been under a rock for the past 5 years and don’t know what CultureCon is, please allow us to school you… CultureCon is a community dedicated to facilitating brave spaces for Black and Brown creatives that was born in Imani’s one-bedroom apartment as a means to foster meaningful connection. 

It is the fastest-growing community and festival for and by creatives of color that has hosted past speakers such as Tracee Ellis Ross, Will Smith, Regina King, John Legend, Spike Lee, Lena Waithe, and so many more. Imani built TheCCNYC while climbing the corporate ladder at NBCUniversal where she started as a page over ten years ago to Vice-President of Communications, Unscripted TV Publicity for Bravo. Imani shares her journey from a young girl growing up as a preacher’s kid who loved ballet but left it behind to pursue track - ultimately winning a track scholarship to Vanderbilt University - to moving to NYC to pursue a career in Public Relations. 

Her passion for community, inclusion and access has positioned er to be recognized as the "2021 Breakthrough Creative" by Ebony Magazine and a "Diversity Champion" by Adweek. Imani has been recognized by Forbes as a "Visionary" and "One To Watch" by Black Enterprise.

If you’ve been trying to figure out how to tap into your creative passion and hold down your 9-to-5 this is the episode for you! Thanks for listening to Blk on the Scene. We hope that you will tune in for more exciting guests and conversations from this season. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review and rating.

Episode Mentions:

We are over-the-moon to welcome the founder of Culture Creators - Joi Brown! Cuzzin Joi as DeDe likes to call her, is a music and entertainment industry OG. Throughout her career she has been an executive at Atlantic Records and ICM, PLUS has worked with major music talent like Lil Kim, Cardi B, Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae, Brandy, Gucci Mane, Lizzo, Missy Elliott and Wiz Khalifa to just name a few, and brands like Beats By Dre, Jack Daniels L’oreal, MasterCard, LVMH and Microsoft. 

We deep dive with Joi who shares that she grew up in a family where music was integral to family gatherings and tapping into that childhood love and “joy” (pun intended) led her to party promoting at Howard University to developing relationships in the industry to accomplishing the goal of breaking into the NYC music industry – by any means necessary. That drive and a bit of serendipity paid off when she landed a coveted role as Heavy D’s assistant at Uptown Records and then after seeing a need for Black artists was going unmet eventually pivoted into marketing partnerships.

Joi hustled hard to rise through the ranks to give underrepresented artists the marketing partnerships that proved mutually beneficial to the label, brand AND artists. And, after the encouragement of her boss, industry vet and then president of Atlanta Records, Julie Greenwald, Joi learned a valuable lesson about prioritizing her personal life too and went on to become a wife and mother to twin girls. After years in corporate, Joi took that passion for representation, culture and partnerships to launch Culture Creators, who’s “mission is to ensure substantive influence and growth by spotlighting and amplifying the contributions of individuals who have shaped the global view of Black culture.” Therefore, it is our honor to spotlight Joi for all that she has done and continues to do for the culture! We know you will leave this episode just as lit up and inspired as we did!

Thanks for listening to Blk on the Scene. We hope that you will tune in for more exciting guests and conversations from this season. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review and rating.

Episode Mentions:

We are delighted to welcome Melissa C. Potter to the Blk on the Scene fam this week! Melissa is a New York native and an expert at the issues of Race, Identity, Culture, Equity, and Social Justice, which she masterfully manages moments of crisis with her unflappable and vibrant style. Just peep her Instagram to see the fabulous eyewear and fashions! Melissa is a thought leader with a proven track record of creating meaningful social change through her expertise in spearheading social impact strategies and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across non-profit organizations and global brands. 

Currently, she serves as the Vice-President, Strategy and Impact at Paramount Global, where she supervises each brand’s commitment to the long-term social impact of cultural shifts in society. We get to learn how she got her start as a teenager “interning” with a family friend who was a DJ, leveraging that hustle, curiosity and passion to being a college record label rep at Northeastern University in Boston at the height of the explosion of Hip-Hop and Rap to learning the business from OGs like Mona Scott and Chris Lighty. She witnessed first hand the impact that entertainers such as Method Man, 50 Cent and more had when they hosted their community focused events which served as early inspiration to the field of social impact. Melissa openly shares her trajectory from the music industry to the political and social impact space where her ingenuity led to her winning the prize for Human Rights at the Venice Film Festival plus receiving a 2018 NAACP Image Award nomination as Impact Producer for the film “The Rape of Recy Taylor”. 

Potter received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Northeastern University and Masters in Corporation Communication and Public Relations from New York University. She serves as the first woman and the first African American Chair of the Board for the National Job Corps Association and is Chair of the Board of Directors of Fostering Change for Children. She was awarded “Change Agent of the Year” in 2018 from the Digital Diversity Network, is a Webby Anthem Awards juror and a Diversity Committee Member for Transform Films. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Melissa’s RECEIPTS and her story from a self described “little bossy girl” to being an all around BOSS is just the inspiration we all need to trust our vision and keep the faith!

Thanks for listening to Blk on the Scene. We hope that you will tune in for more exciting guests and conversations from this season. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review and rating.

Episode Mentions:

She sings! She dances! She acts! She coaches! This week’s guest Keanna “KJ Rose” Henson seems to do it all!  The always effervescent and energetic KJ graced us with her presence to share her passion for entertainment and her pivot from being a corporate baddie to performing with some of the biggest acts in the world like Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Puff Daddy and the Family to being a creative entrepreneur. She’s author of “The Rose Effect: Eight Steps to Delivering The Performance of Your Life” and founder of the “The Rose Effect, LLC" a Global Stage Consultancy that helps creatives, executives, and artists of all disciplines push beyond their perceived capacity. She’s coached Lil Nas X, the Lumineers, 24k Goldn, The Kid Laroi, plus worked with top brands including UberEats, Roblox, Amazon, Google, Disney and Sony Music to name a few. KJ dropped so many gems on this episode about being tenacious, living and working in her purpose that Jon and DeDe felt like they were front row in a masterclass. Jump into this episode and be prepared to schooled, too!

Thanks for listening to Blk on the Scene. We hope that you will tune in for more exciting guests and conversations from this season. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review and rating.

Episode Mentions:

What a thrill to welcome one of the hardest working men in entertainment - theeeeee infatigable Steven “Suss One” Sussman! Suss One is a multi-talented DJ who produces music, rocks the mic on syndicated radio and the clubs, hosts The Feature Presentation podcast plus the go to movie tastemaker screening program Dinner & A Movie with Suss One. Growing up he developed a passion for music and DJing plus movies and horror films, in particular. Suss openly shares with hosts DeDe and Jon his journey as a bi-racial kid growing up in West Chester, NY idolizing DJ icons like Kid Capri and Red Alert to meeting THE “songbird” Mariah Carey. Along the way he’s built a lane all of his own by leaning into his passions and working HARD to make his dreams a reality. Get ready to be inspired by Suss One’s hustle and heart on episode 38 of BLK ON THE SCENE.

​​Thank you for the support over the past three seasons. We hope that you will stay tuned for more exciting guests and conversations from this season. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review and rating.

Episode Mentions:

BLK ON THE SCENE is back for season four! We can barely believe it but we did it, and can’t wait to share it with you. So to kick off this season, DeDe and Jon finally got one of their favorite people for the entertainment industry and who they’ve stalked next since the pod started… the incredible, beautiful, funny and multi-talented Cori Murray! Cori is a legend in the entertainment content world, having brought the best and brightest stories to Essence Magazine, as their former Deputy Editor. As an award winning editor, she led the brand’s digital and print platforms that serves 31 million Black women. During her time at Essence she hosted the Yes Girl podcast, plus for 10 years, she led programming for the Black Women in Hollywood awards and served as co-producer of the annual Oscars week event—ESSENCE’s second largest franchise. Cori sits down with BOTS to talk about her time there, and her pivot into self-employment - freelance writing, producing and so much more! Cori shares how she feels the fear, sets time to “Dream. Play. Make it happen” when it comes to her writing and the lessons she’s learned from her beloved Big Momma to the one’s she hopes her mini me, daughter Jillian, is getting along the way. 

Thank you for the support over the past three seasons. We hope that you will stay tuned for more exciting guests and conversations from this season. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review and rating. 

Episode Mentions:

On our final Season 3 episode of BLK ON THE SCENE, we are thrilled to welcome the insanely talented multi-hyphenate James Bland. James is a proud graduate of FAMU who is a sought after writer, director, producer and actor in Hollywood. He executive produced and starred in the Daytime Emmy Award winning drama series, Giants, which is currently streaming on Bet+. James is #bookedandblessed with current projects like writing on the upcoming Peacock limited series The Best Man: Final Chapters and developing a new original series for 20th Century Fox, which he'll write and star in. Being the masterful storyteller that he is, James takes us on the circuitous journey from being a creative kid growing up in Florida that also happened to have height and athletic talent that propelled him toward sports rather than performing. Ultimately, his passion and true calling, plus learning to embrace his authentic super power of being himself brought him to Los Angeles with very little money to intern for another FAMU graduate Will Packer. Settle in and get ready to truly be inspired and ready to go after your dream just like James!

Vanessa Anderson, the owner and President of the AM PR Group is our honored guest on this week’s show. Vanessa launched her pr agency in 2010 and has become THE premier talent pr agency for Black entertainment royalty with clients such as Amanda Gorman; Marsai Martin; John Boyega; Tika Sumpter;  Tamron Hall; multiple Grammy Award winner Cardi B; Golden Globe winner Andra Day; and the one that started it all - Issa Rae. During the episode we discover how she learned from her beloved Grandmother Nettie to check in with herself and follow her intuition which has continued to guide her to this day. We also learn how her lack of resources and mentorship during the launch of her business has inspired her to champion the My Publicist is Black initiative and other Black women throughout the industry including her employees at the agency. Future publicists and entrepreneurs you’ll definitely want to take notes!

This week’s episode features Janee Bolden –  one of the pod’s favorite and most thoughtful entertainment journalists, authors and speakers. Janee is the Senior Content Director PopCulture at iOne Digital and has interviewed countless actors, musicians and culture creators across film, TV and her first love music. She shares how she came into her own after having a challenging childhood not feeling seen as a young Black child who was a bookworm in Iowa to really stepping into her light which enabled her to fully embrace her Blackness as an intrepid undergrad at New York City University exploring the cultural riches of NYC. Throughout the episode, she also shares getting her start writing erotica and pivoting to entertainment journalism. Janee is the epitome of hustle, grit and grace as she has navigated the entertainment industry shining a spotlight on Black creators especially with her advocacy for Black women in the music industry. Dive in and get ready to be inspired!

This week’s episode features the indomitable “abolitionist” Brooke Obie, who is the Editor & Chief of XONecole the premier digital destination for Black women millennials and the host of their podcast She Comes First. And, what an episode it is! Brooke gives us a window into her life and how the “Christain culture” she was raised in shaped her life in both positive and negative ways that ultimately helped her discover the passion and purpose to tell, share and advocate for authentic Black stories that embrace ALL of our community. Get ready to truly be inspired by her life and career pivots in the pursuit of personal liberation that will help you discover your own!

In our first dual conversation on Blk on the Scene, we welcome two brilliant and inspiring ladies from the Gyrl Wonder not-for-profit - Founder and Executive Director, Tola Lawal and Director of Media and Talent Relations Nikki Cameron who from 9-to-5ish is also the Director of Development @Bunim/Murray Productions. Gyrl Wonder is a professional pipeline 501c3 initiative giving rise to ambitious young women of color between the ages of 17 - 22, who’s mission is to empower the "gyrls" through social impact, career exploration and objective alignment.

Tola and Nikki share how they met and became fast friends, plus how that friendship inspired manifested the Gyrl Wonder organization from their shared passion for giving gyrls of color more resources and access to the entertainment business. This episode is a must listen if you want to learn more about the NFP world and support young aspiring entertainment executives.

Episode Notes:

Our guest this week is George Alexander, an Alabama native, HBCU and Ivy League graduate, NAACP Image Award nominated producer and founder of Galex Media, a TV and video production company. George has the receipts from executive producing  Coca-Cola and ESSENCE series, If Not For My Girls, starring former Destiny’s Child member and Greenleaf star LeToya Luckett but the beautiful video tributes for the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Oscars Luncheon to name a few.

George gives BLK ON THE SCENE the playbook about how he went from an established corporate banker to a successful multi-hyphenate creative by utilizing his business skills to leverage his new passion for story-telling. He talks about doing everything from driving trucks to cleaning toilets on production sets on weekends in the early days of his creative pursuits which filled him with such joy that it made going back to work on Monday more enjoyable. Get ready to truly be inspired by George’s trajectory, determination, and joy in living a life with purpose and intention to tell the most authentic stories about our culture.

This week's BLK ON THE SCENE episode features Careshia Moore, Esq! Careshia is an author, licensed attorney, advocate, life long educator and currently serves as the President and CEO of Usher’s New Look (UNL), the youth empowerment foundation started 22 years ago by THE Usher Raymond. She shares with the BOTS community how she learned to listen to her instincts by trusting God to lead her to direction HE wanted her to be. Careshia is truly the embodiment of a servant leader who continues live her life with passion and purpose to transform the lives of our youth.

This week’s episode features Caralene Robinson who is a writer, director, award winning producer and marketer that hails from the boogie down Bronx. Not only does she share her trajectory from the Bronx to the halls of Howard University and NYU to a being a top executive in the media field, Caralene gives hosts DeDe, Jon and the BOTS listeners the playbook to how she strategically reimagined her career and life. Caralene proves that no matter where you start it’s never too late to go after your dreams if you give yourself grace to learn as you go. Dive in and get ready to be inspired to go after your dreams too!

Episode mentions:

In this episode we welcome one of LInkedin Top Voices and a member of the inaugural Creator Accelerator Program, plus the host of the Black Power Moves podcast -  Elizabeth Leiba. Liz is the founder and course developer for Black History & Culture Academy, a subscription-based, unlimited access, e-learning platform with 40+ self-paced courses on African history and literature, African-American history and literature, and DEI. Our conversation with her lit us up as she shared her journey from Peckham, England to Miami, Florida to mastering self-discovery, acceptance, and confidence. We hope you dive into this episode with as much passion, heart and inspiration as Liz gives to us. 

Episode mentions:

Season three’s kick off episode is with Ernest Dukes, founder of the Nottingham Group, who is a publicist, branding genius, and next level entrepreneur. Ernest shares his journey about how he started from a youngin’ living in Orange County, CA with the dream of being an actor,  opting not to go to college to get real world experience and a paycheck to pivoting into Public Relations -- which led to his success at helping to catapult some of our favorite reality stars, entertainers and Fashion Nova to super stardom. Ernest truly pours into the BOTS community by being super transparent with the trial-and-errors he faced building a successful business including under charging at times, learning his value and always being willing to learn and seek knowledge all while fighting imposter syndrome. His passion for representing our people and culture led him to an iconic moment with “the jacket” and co-founding the not-for-profit My Publicist is Black. Grab your pen and notebook before you start this episode of BLK ON THE SCENE because Ernest Dukes will be dropping some major gems.

Episode mentions:

DeDe and Jon are back with the season 3 premiere episode of BLK ON THE SCENE. Join us as we preview the exciting guests and conversations from this season. You definitely will not want to miss a single episode, so be sure to subscribe to get the notifications. 

Episode Mentions:

Annnnddd just like that....it's a wrap for Season 2 of Blk on the Scene! This season served up some insightful thought provoking conversations that brought a multitude of gems, but ones that truly resonated were about prioritizing self-care & mental health, plus each guest's “circuitous” journey. Even more than the gems we learned, we have so much gratitude for our guests who shared the realest parts of themselves, and to each and every person that listened, shared and supported the show this season. Please stay tuned for Season 3 coming soon with more authentic and inspiring conversations! Shout out to the following BOTS team for making this season possible!

Editing: Kelby Joseph @KKP Production

Photography: @TamariskB

Logo: @PrimoDesignShop

Social Media:@Avid.Wave & @Charliefoxtrotpapa

Circuitous: adjective (of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way.

Check out all of the previous Season 2 episodes below:

On this very special episode of Blk on the Scene, we wanted to share this in-depth and fun conversation with one of our FAVorite people THE Desirae Jones of Desirae Jones Co. Agency and Program Director of the Capital City Black Film Festival. We’ve known the talented Desirae for many years and participated in a panel with her on a panel in 2019 around Marketing for Independent Films in Austin, TX. That conversation went so well, she recently invited us back to the conference (virtually) this year to share our career journey and inspiration for starting the BLK ON THE SCENE podcast. We hope you enjoy listening to the conversation as much as we had having it!

On this episode of Blk on the Scene, we are joined by boss lady and all around fabulous Shayla Cowan, Chief of Staff at Will Packer Productions. Tune in for this episode as Shayla walks us through her career journey in music to transitioning to working in film with mega producer, Will Packer. Additionally, she shares career gems and learnings like "operating on purpose" and the idea of "receiving credit and kudos" when working. This episode is definitely special, so make sure to grab your pin and paper to capture some of "Shayla-isms". Enjoy!

Episode Shoutouts:

This week’s guest on BLK ON THE SCENE is Gilda Squire, founder of Squire Media & Management, Inc. a boutique management and PR firm that oversees the career of groundbreaking American Ballet Theatre principal dancer, and cultural icon Misty Copeland. Her firm also manages Public Relations for award-winning actors Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance. Gilda shares her journey from growing up in a small town, her incredible journey from starting college in her mid twenties, working in government to killing it in the entertainment industry. She is the QUEEN of the career pivot and schools us on the power of planning, nurturing relationships and meeting people where they are. This conversation with Gilda will light you up as much as it did us!

Episode 18 of Blk on the Scene features Keisha Senter from Monkeypaw Productions. Keisha has worked in politics, social impact and the non-profit space and has truly made an impact in every space she's occupied in her career. She discusses her journey from Kentucky to New York a stop in Ireland and Los Angeles. Keisha is a woman who puts her all into everything she touches and strives to seek out transformational change in all that she does, her career is one to be admired and revered. Please enjoy this conversation and take note of the intention Keisha has throughout each chapter in her career. 

This episode of BLK ON THE SCENE is a deep dive with Emmy and Clio award winning entertainment news show producer and booker, Darius Brown. Darius is an industry vet who worked at major TV networks including ABC News, BET, NBC, and FOX and is currently the Director of Talent & Partnerships at Harley & Co, a New York-based creative studio that produces multi-platform social justice and culture projects. On this episode, we learn why Kim Kardashian got mad at him, how he got a 4 hour interview with Usher, the importance of tithing even when you THINK you can’t afford it plus what he learned about why it’s important to bring your authentic self to the job. Plus, as we do every week with our guest, he shares his love and inspiration for Black entertainment.

We are back with the first new episode of 2022 of Blk on the Scene. This week, we have chef, content creator & marketing expert Alex Hill joining DeDe and Jon. As a D.C. native, Alex spent the majority of her career in the entertainment space working in marketing/publicity but made a complete shift in her career to actually pursue a lifelong passion and dream. Enter her food blog…Just Add Hot Sauce and the rest is history. She takes us down the road of her journey to where she has been to where she is now. Never an easy road to go down she discusses and breaks down the challenges of reaching your goals and dreams to achieve what you love. Alex is meeting fear at door, getting over the anxiety of not knowing the next step and understanding the journey isn’t going to always be easy but at the end it always is well worth it. If you’ve been looking for the inspiration to take a leap in your career, you’ll want to make sure to  download this episode of BLK ON THE SCENE immediately.

Just Add Hot Sauce - https://www.justaddhotsauce.com/

Allied Moxy (Multicultural Agency)

On this week’s episode of Blk on the Scene, Jon and DeDe are joined by THE FORCE known as Chardae Jenkins. She is a woman who is a true Cultural Authority for all things black. Chardae was someone who was destined to land in the world of multicultural due to her commitment to learning space from her time in college to her days at a variety of marketing agencies and now being at Netflix. This episode is a true reflection of appreciating one's journey...Chardae walks us through what that journey has looked liked for her - including all of the ups and downs. Through it all, Chardae is dedicated to the work, always showing up ready to bring her A game and most importantly always staying true to self.

Allied Moxy (Multicultural Agency)

In this episode of BLK ON THE SCENE, entertainment publicist, entrepreneur and LGBTQIA activist, Vaughn Alvarez joins DeDe and Jon for one heartfelt dialogue. Vaughn who started as a child performer takes us through his career journey and how being a creator is inextricably linked to his current work as a talent publicist. Additionally, he discusses how he has futuristic vision and leading from a place of service after seeing Brandy and Ray-J on TV early in their career, to creating one of the first fan blogs dedicated to R&B singer Brandy to then representing both brother and sister as their publicist! Vaughn truly exemplifies how coming from a place of service and hard work, leading with faith and following his path has been divinely ordered.

This week’s episode of BLK ON THE SCENE features a conversation with Lexi Felder, aka Lexi with the Curls who is an HBCU grad, influencer, ultimate side hustler and full time nine - fiver. Lexi shares with us how she got her start in the entertainment industry (does anyone remember Craigslist?!) and being one of the first natural hair care content creators in the mid 2000s plus how she manages it all by prioritizing her mental health, regular nail appointments, and her main job with the help of a few key tools. Be sure to stay to the end to hear her love letter to Black entertainment!!

An Atlanta native, Victor Jackson (@MrGlamRockSoul), is a true multi-hyphenate talent by definition, he is a gifted singer, actor, writer and stylist - the so much more. He has been an artist all of his life and always wanted to “just create” from the moment he was a little boy. Victor brings a special and beautiful warmth to this episode of Blk on the Scene with sharing his intention to always wanting to "just create" and what that journey looked like for him.

Episode Mentions:

Alyson K. Furch brings so much transparency and tangible action to this episode of BLK ON THE SCENE. She discusses how sports runs in her family, how to tap into your network for opportunities and why she loves working with some of the most talented players in the NBA, and why sports is her north star.

Episode mentions:

On the kick-off episode of BLK ON THE SCENE, Danielle Young serves a record number of gems so we might have to change her name from the content queen to the gem dropping queen! Her journey took us from South Carolina to NYC to LA and had DeDe & Jon both laughing and crying along the way. We especially love that her work and contributions to the world as a talented multi-hyphenate is her love letter to BLK entertainment and BLK people as a whole.

Episode mentions:

Welcome back to BLK on the Scene Season 2! DeDe and Jon are back for an exciting yet slightly different season but still dedicated to sharing their love letter to Black entertainment! Though they enjoyed chatting with each other in season one, it felt like after 7 years of it just being the two of them on their yet to be launched pod, that they needed to invite some other people to the party. And that they did - they invited some of their favorite BLACK AND BRILLIANT marketers, journalists, producers and creatives to chat about their professional and personal journeys. And each guest shares their own love letters dedicated to BLK entertainment.

Additionally, DeDe and Jon shout out some of their favorite current and upcoming Blackity, Blackity, Black movies and TV shows they are looking forward to this fall and winter.

TV

Our Kinda People - FOX

Starring: Yaya DaCosta, Nadine Ellis, Rhyon Nicole Brown, Morris Chestnut, Joe Morton & Lance Gross

Created: Karen Gist

Executive Producer: Lee Daniels

On the final episode of BLK ON THE SCENE - Season 1, DeDe and Jon dive into their bread and butter, the wonderful world of Multicultural Marketing & Publicity. They talk about how it started vs. how it’s going, plus give a shout to a few of the films, TV shows and brilliant people they’ve worked with along the way.

Grab your notebook and a glass of wine for our love letter to marketing and publicity to Black audiences. Be sure to like, leave a review and subscribe to the show. Don’t you worry, we will be back in September with season 2 of BLK ON THE SCENE that will include a variety of guest interviews with brilliant and passionate people we adore and admire who are pouring into the culture.

Films mentioned:

In this episode,  BLK ON THE SCENE gives mad love to the iconic and game changing director John Singleton and the 30th Anniversary of Boyz in the Hood. BNTH took the world by storm in 1991 with its raw, emotional and authentic story-telling about coming of age in South Central LA. Be sure to check out some of the reference materials we mention in the episode and outlined below.

In part two of this special episode, DeDe and Jon take you on a recap of this year's 93rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony. The hosts take audiences through all of the black winners, losers, surprises, speeches and of course the best fashions of the night. Enjoy!

Complete list of BLACK Winners at the 93rd Academy Awards:

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

This episode features DeDe & Jon highlighting some of the most anticipated black content releasing this summer. Theaters are open again and there will be plenty of films to check out from ZOLA to SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY to CANDYMAN, there is something for all audiences. They also take a dive into the variety of television shows hitting our favorite streaming services and television networks. Take a ride with BLK ON THE SCENE special episode dedicated to all things Black content to watch this summer. Enjoy!

FILMS MENTIONED

On the very first episode of BLK ON THE SCENE, DeDe and Jon welcome you into their world by taking audiences on a journey of their humble beginnings in the multicultural marketing space to now preparing to launch the show. Join us for a hilarious walk down memory lane in true DeDe and Jon fashion as they kick off an exciting new chapter by sharing their “love letter to Black Hollywood” to the world. Enjoy!

Episode Shoutouts

Black & Brilliant Tribe:

• Carolyn Sloss @404girl *honorary member and mentor
  
• Kevin Stuckey (@KevinJStuckey)
  
• Micah McDonald (@McDonaldMicah)
  
• Jey Floyd (@JusJey)
  
• Talitha Watkins (@TalithaWatkins)
  
• Erika Bennett (@ErikaJBennett)
  
• Chardae Jenkins (@Chardaej_)
  
• Alex Hill (@Justaddhotsauce_)
  
  

Black & Beautiful Content: