Age: 24
College: Georgia State University
Major: Sociology
Grad Year: December 2010
About Brittney: I consider myself to be a passionate young adult inspired by the ills of the world, with a serving heart. I take to challenging social structures in the world through various community initiatives. Attending school and majoring in a social service field takes passion and commitment. Not labeled with the six figure salary like other majors, I have always chosen to work with the people and not against them. I've always had my hand in the community passionately providing service to the people who need it most. My endeavors with Black Positive Image, Inc. directly reflect my commitment to the community. Although Rochester, New York is home, my heart is global and expanding to places were many may not pay attention. I'm seeking to help those who need help the most, by connecting with them on a personal level, establishing trust, the one element no relationship can go without.
In 2009 I was working as a legal secretary where I had to read the Daily Report (the legal newspaper for Fulton County GA) everday. The paper Provided all legal news and happenings in the County as well as new businesses that were registered with the Secretary of States office. This section became of great interest to me as I noticed that several businesses were registered daily and I looked into the process of starting a business myself. At first I didn't have a clear direction in the field that I would like to go into, but as a person of service, I knew I wanted to help people. I decided to register as a non-profit corporation, knowing that in the future I would love to operate a nationwide non-profit organization. The name of the organization had to be strong and very relevant to the target group that I wanted to address. As an advocate for the black community and with direct emotional connections to the care of my people I decided to name the company Black Positive Image. With all the negativity that surrounded the image of Blacks in America on the television, newspapers and other media outlets I decided to combat this image by providing a social enterprise where people could unite together and become the positive force that our community needs.
Initially Black Positive Image, Inc. was a social enterprise that utilized various social media outlets such as facebook and twitter to connect with people in the community and begin opening a dialogue to combat the negative images in the community. By providing positive imagery through music, books, pictures, etc. We were going to be the alternative source to help people find positive information and resources for the community. Although this is still primarily our focus, the company has expanded beyond social enterprises and has begun to infiltrate the community with various programs. We support college students through our College Care Program, fight illiteracy and bring the joy of reading through our Home Library Campaign and help spread the stories of the people in our community through our Literary Series 'You Don't Know My Story'. Through our various initiatives we have begun to make a direct impact in the community by actively creating the image we would like to see in the community. The social media aspect of our organization is still very relevant and we will be expanding our initiatives to become the Community Resource Center for various topics and issues in relation to our community.
What is your life's mission?
My life's mission is to help guide people to love. My current work is reflective of community activism in various ways, but my true mission is to change the face of intimate relationships between individuals and open the sexual dialogue amongst Americans. I am a sexual liberation reformer committed to helping others understand sexual relations and helping individuals cultivate meaning relationships. This is matched with my plans to further my education and become a Relationship/Sex Therapist.
What does being a black woman mean to you?
To be is a linking verb by definition, so for me to be Black is linking me to the power in what has been identified as my color. To label an entire race based off the variation in hues of skin and label them as Black, a word that is negative in context in contrast to the purity of the color white may seem fleeting to many; but not my people. In the direct face the negative definition of soiled, wicked, dirty, sullen and a host of other names that have been marked with negativity, to be Black in regards to my people mean none of those things. Even with the filth that surrounds the term Black and how the world may relate to it, we have defined Black in our own terms, beyond the definitions in dictionaries. To be Black is to be defiant, to be non-complying to the unjust impositions that have been placed on us. To be Black links me to an ancestry of perseverance and undoubted self pride. To be Black links me to all that I know and that is proud!
In 2009 I was working as a legal secretary where I had to read the Daily Report (the legal newspaper for Fulton County GA) everday. The paper Provided all legal news and happenings in the County as well as new businesses that were registered with the Secretary of States office. This section became of great interest to me as I noticed that several businesses were registered daily and I looked into the process of starting a business myself. At first I didn't have a clear direction in the field that I would like to go into, but as a person of service, I knew I wanted to help people. I decided to register as a non-profit corporation, knowing that in the future I would love to operate a nationwide non-profit organization. The name of the organization had to be strong and very relevant to the target group that I wanted to address. As an advocate for the black community and with direct emotional connections to the care of my people I decided to name the company Black Positive Image. With all the negativity that surrounded the image of Blacks in America on the television, newspapers and other media outlets I decided to combat this image by providing a social enterprise where people could unite together and become the positive force that our community needs.
Initially Black Positive Image, Inc. was a social enterprise that utilized various social media outlets such as facebook and twitter to connect with people in the community and begin opening a dialogue to combat the negative images in the community. By providing positive imagery through music, books, pictures, etc. We were going to be the alternative source to help people find positive information and resources for the community. Although this is still primarily our focus, the company has expanded beyond social enterprises and has begun to infiltrate the community with various programs. We support college students through our College Care Program, fight illiteracy and bring the joy of reading through our Home Library Campaign and help spread the stories of the people in our community through our Literary Series 'You Don't Know My Story'. Through our various initiatives we have begun to make a direct impact in the community by actively creating the image we would like to see in the community. The social media aspect of our organization is still very relevant and we will be expanding our initiatives to become the Community Resource Center for various topics and issues in relation to our community.
My life's mission is to help guide people to love. My current work is reflective of community activism in various ways, but my true mission is to change the face of intimate relationships between individuals and open the sexual dialogue amongst Americans. I am a sexual liberation reformer committed to helping others understand sexual relations and helping individuals cultivate meaning relationships. This is matched with my plans to further my education and become a Relationship/Sex Therapist.
What does being a black woman mean to you?
To be is a linking verb by definition, so for me to be Black is linking me to the power in what has been identified as my color. To label an entire race based off the variation in hues of skin and label them as Black, a word that is negative in context in contrast to the purity of the color white may seem fleeting to many; but not my people. In the direct face the negative definition of soiled, wicked, dirty, sullen and a host of other names that have been marked with negativity, to be Black in regards to my people mean none of those things. Even with the filth that surrounds the term Black and how the world may relate to it, we have defined Black in our own terms, beyond the definitions in dictionaries. To be Black is to be defiant, to be non-complying to the unjust impositions that have been placed on us. To be Black links me to an ancestry of perseverance and undoubted self pride. To be Black links me to all that I know and that is proud!
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