Mel
I didn't know Black Planet was still operating...lol.
Issa Rae is an EXCELLENT businesswoman.
A real boss.
....like most children of African immigrants.
AfroAmericans are great at marketing their own INDIVIDUAL brands. Issa Rae, Puffy (he'll always be Puffy to me), Beyonce, Perry...are just a few that come to mind. But when it comes to the marketing for the COLLECTIVE....that's when the jealousy kicks in.
I don't blame Rae or anyone else for capitalizing off of social media to the fullest. However at the end of the day AfroAmericans must be willing to SACRIFICE a certain amount of time, personal fame, and even temporary profit if we want to build our own platforms and have some sort of semblance of independence.
Troy
I know you use social media to advertise AALBC, ever thought about kicking out $10,000 or $15,000 for a couple of billboards in some strategic spots to promote this site?
There's some sort of Critical Race Theory movement going around in AfroAmerican academic circles that you're probably aware of that you can really capitalize off of.