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IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
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Blackgirl Is in Business!
by Justin Case, 04.25.03
"We have a history and culture that we need to discuss." |
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Believe it or not, Kenya Jordana James is only 13 years old and is now enjoying the success of her third business — Blackgirl Magazine. The native New Yorker has always been blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit. She's owned a bracelet-making business, a baking company, and now, her successful publication, Blackgirl Magazine (run solely by teens), which has featured countless celebrities, including Lauryn Hill and B2K.
The forever-busy Kenya gave teenwire.comSM the 411 about her road to success, being homeschooled, and what Blackgirl Magazine is all about.
teenwire.com (tw): Hey Kenya! Why did you start Blackgirl Magazine?
Kenya Jordana James (KJJ): I started the magazine to discuss things that were going on with my friends and put them in a magazine. The first thing I had to do was write the concept behind the magazine, once I decided to start one. From there, I made my plan, who could be advertisers, what the content should be, who should edit, design it ... It took a lot of writing in the beginning. My mom made me develop all this when I told her that I wanted a magazine.
tw: Tell us about your first entrepreneurial moves.
KJJ: When I was eight years old, I made bracelets and sold them. After that, I made cakes from scratch and sold them to my neighbors, parents of my schoolmates, teachers at my school, and others in the sixth grade. After that, my magazine came.
tw: What are some of the things your magazine covers that makes it different from the rest?
KJJ: Well, we are not based on one thing. We are not just entertainment or fashion. We have a history and culture that we need to discuss. We talk about all types of things.
tw: Who is on your staff?
KJJ: The staff is 10 people, including the designer, photographer, and printer. My friends write for it — girls and guys — and they all have to be teens, so the ages range from 12-to-18 years old. Other teen magazines are written by adults. Ours is by teens. Even the editing.
tw: What were some of the exciting interviews you did?
KJJ: B2K was really cool, as well as LL Cool J, Malcolm X's daughter, India.Arie, Lauryn Hill. Plus there were activists and community leaders.
tw: What do you think are some of the negative things young black girls are facing?
KJJ: Well, the fact that we don't have proper parenting. We get all wild and then the parents say, "That's not my child." If we had the proper parenting, then we wouldn't have so many of the problems parents claim we have. Everything comes from parenting. If everyone had really good parents, being a 13-year-old with a magazine would not be extraordinary.
tw: Wow. What makes a good parent?
KJJ: Good parents communicate with their children and don't allow the television to raise their children. Also, they should help explore whatever their children want to do.
tw: Tell us about homeschooling.
KJJ: Homeschooling is done by my mom. She teaches me everyday. I have been homeschooled for two years. She teaches, also, around a curriculum that develops what I want to do later on — be an obstetrician.
tw: Is there anything you want to tell teenwire.com readers?
KJJ: Be dedicated, determined, and dependable. I think these three Ds will help you throughout your life. |
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