Black History Month Spotlight: Alice Walker

In celebration for Black History Month, Red Ink’d bloggers are highlighting 4 African American entrepreneurs and/or authors on Inkin What We Thinkin. Our fourth highlight is author – Alice Walker.

Known as being the author of the book, The Color Purple, which became a well-known movie starring Danny Glover, Oprah and Whoopi Goldberg, Alice Walker, is more than just an author. She is also an activist that has marched with the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., took part in the March on Washington, and has been arrested for crossing a police line during an anti-war rally outside of the White House.

Alice Walker was born February 1944 in Putnam County, Georgia. At an early age, she was shot in the eye accidentally by one of her brothers and by the time her family was able to get her to the doctor, she had already lost full sight in the eye. After this incident, Walker became extremely shy and took to writing as an outlet. Starting with short stories, she let her imagination broaden and began writing poetry and later novels. By the time she graduated from high school, not only was she the valedictorian but she was also voted “Most Popular Girl” by her peers. She attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and ended up transferring to Sarah Lawrence College where she graduated in 1965. Walker married Melvyn Roseman Leventhal in 1967 and they were the first couple in Mississippi to be a legal interracially married couple; they had one daughter, Rebecca. Melvyn and Alice divorced in 1976. Walker also has been known to be romantically involved with singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman. Walker states her relationships helped her write as well.

There are well over 30 published novels, short stories, collections of poetry and non-fiction books that have been written by Ms. Walker throughout her lifetime. Walker recently celebrated her 71^st birthday and shows no signs of slowing down with her writing.

-LM

Black History Month Spotlight: Kyla Marshell

In celebration for Black History Month, Red Ink’d bloggers are highlighting 4 African American entrepreneurs and/or authors on Inkin What We Thinkin. Our third highlight is a writer, poet and blogger – Ms. Kyla Marshell

As featured in Ebony Magazine’s “7 Young Black Writers You Should Know” in January 2013, Kyla Marshell is someone to definitely keep in your library.

Marshell has been slowly but surely making a name for herself. I personally read “To My Father” as part of Amazon’s weekly digital journal in 2013. She has a broad range of writing and has a unique capability of delving deep into multifaceted issues, both social and personal, within her poetry and short stories.

A graduate of Spelman College and Sarah Lawrence College, she has also penned excellent commentary on Black hipsters and the hashtag’s lament, written reviews on jazz for Okayplayer’s The Revivalist, and received a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship in 2011 and a Cave Canem Fellowship in 2010 and 2011.

Black History Month Spotlight: Desiree Rogers

In celebration for Black History Month, Red Ink’d bloggers are highlighting 4 African American entrepreneurs and/or authors on Inkin What We Thinkin. Our second highlight is Desiree Rogers, CEO of Johnsons Publishing Company.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 16, 1959, Desiree Rogers never dreamed she would become the Chief Executive Officer of the largest African-American owned publishing firm in the United States, Johnsons Publishing Company. Once she got her high school diploma from the Academy of the Sacred Hearts in NOLA, she went on to receive her Bachelor’s in political science in 1981 from Wellesley College and her MBA from Harvard Business School in 1985.

After graduating from Harvard, Rogers moved to Chicago where she met her now ex-husband, John W. Rogers, Jr. They have a daughter, Victoria. In 2003, Rogers was diagnosed with breast cancer, but she did not let that stop her from moving forward and making a name for herself. While in Chicago, she became friends with the Obamas. (John was a teammate of Michelle Obama’s brother) Many believe the friendship and close ties with the now first family allowed her to become the White House Social Secretary from January 20, 2009 – February 26, 2010. While in the political position, Rogers was widely criticized for the way she did her job; many blamed her for the crashing of the 2009 White House dinner, stating security was not doing its job (which was also a sector she handled being the Social Secretary). Democratic National Convention numbers were also low that year and some stated if Rogers would have sent Christmas Cards out to the high paying Obama fundraisers that could have increased the numbers.

After stepping down from the Social Secretary position at the White House, Rogers was soon offered a position as the CEO for Johnsons Publishing Company. Johnsons Publishing is well known for publications of magazines like Fashion Fair, Ebony and Jet in the African-American communities. She has been recognized on numerous occasions with the company for making difficult yet smart changes that will benefit the company in the long run. Some of these changes include cancelling the printing of Jet Magazine and allowing it to become an online only magazine as well as helping rebuild the company as a whole.

Part of Rogers’ bio on the Johnsons Publishing Company website states: “Rogers has known the company for over 20 years through personal relationships with the Johnson family and comes to the position with an extensive track record in brand rebuilding”

Rogers currently lives in Chicago where she continues to help run, rebuild and maintain Johnsons Publishing Company.

Black History Month Spotlight: Leanna Archer

In celebration for Black History Month, Red Ink bloggers are highlighting 4 African American entrepreneurs and/or authors on Inkin What We Thinkin. Our first highlight is a 16-year old business owner who started when she was just 19-years old. Leanna Archer is the CEO of Leanna’s Inc., a natural hair care product line.

Leanna Archer, CEO of Leanna’s Inc.

www.leannashair.com

www.leannaarcherfoundation.org

Leanna’s grandmother had a secret recipe that Leanna decided one day to bottle. Since then, her secret recipe plus the boom in natural hair care lately has landed Leanna with an enterprise that boosts over $100,000 in revenue. She has been featured in the likes of Success Magazine, Forbes Magazine and a host of others, as the teen CEO to watch.

Leanna believes in you reap what you sow. She is involved with several humanitarian efforts and in 2008, she started her own non-profit called Leanna Archer Education Foundation. The organization helps provide better opportunities to underprivileged children in Haiti. Her ultimate goal? To build a school in Haiti and provide top-notch education to roughly 150 children. To help her achieve this goal, Leanna was contacted by Janet Jackson’s management team who will be traveling with Leanna to Haiti to start the process of building a school slated for mid-2015.

Leanna is a true Entrepreneur and has defied all odds by starting at such an early age. While her entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen have allowed her to take charge in the boardroom, her youthful exuberance and resolve has granted her the ability to inspire and motivate a whole new generation of emerging thinkers. Leanna is a beacon of hope for young teen who aspire to run their own businesses, no matter how young they are.