Olu Gittens interviews filmmaker Sharon La Cruise for NBC’s TheGrio.com

Sharon La Cruise, filmmaker of ‘Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock’

I had the pleasure of interviewing documetary filmmaker/journalist Sharon La Cruise about her film Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock for video-centric news portal TheGrio.com. A venture of NBC News and the production team behind documentary film Meeting David Wilson, TheGrio.com features breaking news, politics, health, business, and entertainment, which concern African-Americans.

It was great to find out about La Cruise’s seven-year journey to making this powerful, intimate portrait of Civil Rights pioneer Bates.

Check it out!

-O.G.

http://thegrio.com/2012/05/29/sharon-la-cruise-remembers-forgotten-female-civil-rights-hero-in-daisy-bates-first-lady-of-little-rock/

Byline + mention in Atlanta Post article on black film and TV producers working online

Instead of waiting for Hollywood’s permission — and dollars — black film and TV producers are giving themselves the green light to produce their own online series.

The Atlanta Post* article “Black Filmmakers and Producers Use the Web to Take Control,” penned by yours truly, takes an eye-opening look at African-American web series and digital content producers.

Al Thompson; Korey Coleman; Issa Rae; Pete Chatmon and Hannelore Williams; Brown Paper Dolls and Idris Elba, and many more are highlighted, along with the Black Women’s Entertainment Network online channel and media studies expert Aymar Jean Christian. There’s also a mention of me, writer/director Olu Gittens and Oh Gee Productions’ web series CHOICES.  Black digital producers are making moves on the web.

Great piece, if I do say so myself!

-O.G.

http://atlantapost.com/2011/07/28/black-filmmakers-tv-producers-taking-creative-control-through-the-web/

http://madamenoire.com/110580/black-filmmakers-tv-producers-taking-creative-control-through-the-web/

*The Atlanta Post is now Madame Noire, a division of Moguldom Media

Olu Gittens writes Atlanta Post article on black television writers

Ever since the days of Flip, Fred and Bill, African-Americans have been working hard behind the scenes to give us the television shows we love.

I got the chance to explore and share the topic of black television writers and writer-producers in an article for the Atlanta Post*. Writing “African-American Television Writers: Breaking Barriers & Creating History” was a great opportunity for me, as it allowed me to share information about people I admire.

The small screen, like the big one, is a place we go, not just for entertainment, but to connect with the images and ideas that matter to us.

Find out more about blacks making huge moves in TV today, with a bit of info about the ground breakers, too.

-O.G.

LINKS:
http://atlantapost.com/2011/06/17/african-american-television-writers-breaking-barriers-creating-history/

http://madamenoire.com/110136/african-american-television-writers-breaking-barriers-creating-history/

*The Atlanta Post is now Madame Noire, a division of Moguldom Media

Coco and Creme features Olu Gittens’ tanning salon piece

 My personal essay Dare to be Dark: My Trip to a Tanning Salon has been published in the exciting new urban beauty and fashion online magazine Coco and Creme.

I welcome readers to check out the article and comment at Coco and Creme.

-O.G.

http://cocoandcreme.com/2011/06/dare-to-be-dark-my-trip-to-a-tanning-salon/