Today What About Our Daughters is participating in HAPPY BLACK GIRL DAY! Happy Black Girl Day is the brainchild of Sister Toldja. You can read the official rules of HAPPY BLACK GIRL DAY at her blog, The Beautiful Struggler. I can't wait for the Happy Black Girl Day greeting cards, floral arrangements, fire works display. Here is my first entry. This week I am one HAPPY BLACK GIRL!
I received a picture mail Monday that merely said "She's there." The accompanying photo was of a white house. No, not "A" White House, but THE WHITE HOUSE.
She's there? Yes, She's there. Yes, after months of starts and stops and setbacks and detours she was there. SQUEEE! YAY! uh uhhhh! Shut UP! She's there? Yes, she's there! No way! WAAAY!
On Monday Michelle Obama Watch dispatched our Washington Correspondent, Nisa, to the White House to report on the International Women's Day celebration hosted by our First Lady and the President of the United States. On Tuesday she reported from the Smithsonian Museum of American Historywhere the First Lady was handing over her inaugural gown. And none of it would have been possible if I hadn't been willing to let go of the steering wheel. I now have EVIDENCE that I can build something, release it, and it will grow without me micromanaging. Which is a good thing because I'm building a lot of stuff these days.
Last year, after my doctor gave me the side eye regarding my blood pressure, I was forced to give some things up, including control by trying to do too much. So I handed over the management of Michelle Obama Watch, the blog, to someone else.
This Black girl is happy that she found the fabulousness that is the Managing Editor of Michelle Obama Watch, Aminah Hanan. You should be happy that since Aminah has had things well under control since she took over, I have been freed to focus on developing television and movie projects. The first is a spin off of Michelle Obama Watch, the blog called Our East Wing, the television show.
For the past four months I've been taking courses in video and television production. I know how to white balance an HD camera. I know what an ND filter is. I don't quite know what aperture is, but I know how to adjust it to get the look I want. I've learned about audio and mixers and The Grand Master. I've been certified to produce in a 2 camera studio and next month I'll train to get certified in the three camera studio. Dolly shots, and panning, medium and long, warm vs. cool, keying, character generation are now part of the ever evolving vocabulary and skill set.
Four months ago, I looked in on the studio control room and it looked like they were flying the space shuttle. Well now, I know how to fly too. I was the star pupil in my class! Okay, well there were only two people in the class, but I was still the star :) I reserved a studio at the end of the month to hold auditions to select the hosts of the show. I have to know how everything works before I can direct other people, but as soon has I get the hang of everything, I'm handing it off and moving on to the next project. And that's just the beginning.
So I'm happy that we are amassing a growing body of evidence that one day we will live in a world where millions of Black women will be defining their images for themselves by producing their own content. One blog post at a time, one correspondent at a time, one television show at a time. You now have the evidence. Why not step out on faith?
Happy Black Girl Day!
PS. Sign up for Script Frenzy today. Its the competition to write a 90-page screen or stage play in 30 days. I'm already outlining :) It starts April 1st. I hope to have at least 6 readers participating with me.PPS. If you want to get me a Happy Black Girl Day Present, you can get me a Panasonic GH1 :)... for the aspiring filmmaker :)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 7:50AM 
