Profile

I founded SHElettaMakesMeLaugh as a podcasting platform for Black folks, a place to share our stories and talk about our concerns with listeners hungry to hear voices like their own. I connected with Black subject experts who had been shut out of… I founded SHElettaMakesMeLaugh as a podcasting platform for Black folks, a place to share our stories and talk about our concerns with listeners hungry to hear voices like their own. I connected with Black subject experts who had been shut out of traditional mainstream media and gave them a spotlight to share their knowledge as hosts. We launched eight different podcasts, with themes ranging from travel to mental health to autism awareness to corporate diversity, fashioning ourselves as a one-stop-shop for cultural relevance and creativity. In addition to finding outstanding Black talent, I bought equipment and software and found a marketing partner. I put up my own money, took a loan from my parents and was heartened by the promises of several investors who were ready to join me. Mainstream media has traditionally ignored the contributions, celebrations and concerns of communities of color. Throughout my career, I've sat in newsrooms pitching stories that my white colleagues didn't understand or value.
Too often, the only appearance of a Black person on a newscast is in a mugshot from a police department. That's part of the reason why the Los Angeles Times and The Kansas City Star both recently apologized to their Black readers, admitting their historically biased coverage of African-Americans.