BlackEnterprise.com talked with Bond about how a T-shirt mantra became a movement, how girls learn life skills via two turntables and a mic, and how women of color offer greatness to the world.

BlackEnterprise.com: Black Girls Rock started with a T-shirt. What inspired you to take your concept to the next level and start a nonprofit?

First I started the T-shirt and was thinking of all the incredible women to list on it. I was writing down all of these names and just couldn’t fit them all. In my attempt to try, I said, ‘This is bigger than just a shirt.’ So I decided to start a mentoring program.

How were you able to garner support for your organization and awards shows?

Good marketing. Black Girls Rock grew because the need was so great. Women have been speaking out about the negative images of Black women in the media. I’ve seen some powerful women who have said and done great things. The way I marketed Black Girls Rock … I said, ‘Here’s another option: Consider the greatness among black women.’
Also, a lot of people who gave me my original support were journalists. When I’d be interviewed because of something I was doing as a DJ in the industry, I’d tell them what I was trying to do with my nonprofit. I was also able to tap into my personal network and gain support from them.

Part of your program teaches the fundamentals of DJing. What life skills do the young ladies learn while doing this?

It’s using art as a tool to become their best selves. Through the arts they are learning to tap into their creative mind. They’re learning discipline, multitasking. When you DJ, you use all of your senses in different ways at the same time, stimulating your creativity, helping with self-discipline, and building work ethic.
Many schools have cut arts programs.

What do you recommend young people do to find an alternative outlet?

Do your research on where you can find other arts programs if your school doesn’t offer any. If you want to be a musician, invest in an instrument and study. There are so many online courses. Try YouTube and tap into any free resources on the Web.
Also, sometimes you’ll find lessons outside of your school, i.e., an elder and others in your community could teach a class or lessons.

What advice do you give young women interested in following in your career footsteps?

Have the utmost respect for whatever artistic endeavors they wish to pursue and execute brilliantly. With the arts, people tend to think it’s okay to skip the work.

The post Beverly Bond Shows the World That ‘Black Girls Rock’ The Renowned DJ Tells How She Turned A T-Shirt Slogan Into A National Movement appeared first on BlackGirlsRock, Inc..

The Black Girls Rock! & Soul Tour Continues with our next stop in the nation’s capital! Come join us for a great night of music for a fantastic cause.

For more information on event details visit here

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By Contact: The Sorensen McQueen Group [646-330-5458]

RENOWNED DJ AND PHILANTHROPIST, BEVERLY BOND, JAMS WITH

ERYKAH BADU, AKA DJ LO DOWN LORETTA BROWN, TO KICK-OFF THE FIRST ANNUAL BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™& SOUL TOUR

An Official Pre- BET Awards Jam Session celebrating dynamic women in music.

NEW YORK, NY, June XX, 2011 – Beverly Bond, the multi-talented visionary, Founder and CEO of BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is set to kick-off the summer with the first annual BLACK GIRLS ROCK! & SOUL TOUR in Los Angeles on Friday, June 24, 2011. The tour was created to celebrate groundbreaking women of color in the rock, soul and alternative music genres. This debut jam session will be headlined by the incomparable phenom, Erykah Badu aka DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown, who will provide a DJ set as well as a soulful performance. The acclaimed all-female DC Go-Go Band Be’la Dona will serve as the official band for the tour, and Los Angeles’ very own organically soulful trio, King (who recently opened for Prince), will bring their hypnotic harmonies to this one of a kind music celebration honoring women. Celebrity DJ Beverly Bond will also provide a haute DJ set to culminate the event. The exclusive BLACK GIRLS ROCK! & SOUL Tour Jam Session in Los Angeles is an official 2011 BET pre-Awards event.

The BLACK GIRLS ROCK! & SOUL TOUR will provide an essential platform for dynamic women in music and will feature both emerging and established artists.  Bond states, “I created this tour to showcase the many brilliant and talented women of color from various music genres and to help these artists get the recognition that they so deserve. This tour gives BLACK GIRLS ROCK! the opportunity to support cutting edge talent and to also celebrate highly regarded artists who bring the best of our music culture to the mainstream.”

Making stops in New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Houston the first annual BLACK GIRLS ROCK! & SOUL TOUR will lead up to the return of the highest rated cable special celebrating the brilliance of Black women and the 2011 NAACP Image Award Nominee – the BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ Awards on BET Networks – this fall.

Tickets for the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! & SOUL TOUR/LA Jam Session taking place on Friday, June 24, 2011 can be purchased at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/179753. All proceeds will benefit BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ Inc., a nonprofit youth empowerment and mentoring organization for girls from ages 12-17. For additional information and updates, please visit www.blackgirlsrockinc.com

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The Black Girls Rock! program seeks to empower inner city girls and young women.

Amelia Blanquera has lived in the neighborhood for the last five years. Besides writing for The Local, she also writes regularly for the site Soulpancake.com. You can follow her on Twitter @AmeliaBlanquera.

The question posed to the class was, “What do you think is important for young black girls to see in the media?”

The answer?

“I feel like I should see positive role models. Women and girls being themselves without being demeaning, without shaking their butt,” said Mercy Carpenter, 13.

Mercy and her 16-year-old sister, Emily, are enrolled in the Black Girls Rock! program whose offices are on Lexington Avenue in Clinton Hill. Started by DJ Beverly Bond, Black Girls Rock! uses the arts to empower inner city girls ages 12-17 to achieve greatness. The girls can participate in the Scratch DJ Academy and “I Rhyme Like a Girl” poetry workshop. In addition, they are exposed to different cultures through food in the innovative “Taste the World Program,” wherein the girls visit local restaurants, sample the dishes, and chat with chefs.

Ms. Bond, a working DJ with clients as diverse as Alicia Keys, Derek Jeter, Sarah Jessica Parker and Martha Stewart, started her music career in 2000 by accident. Her mother exposed her to all types of music from Michael Jackson to Sarah Vaughn to Curtis Blow. But it wasn’t until she started going to dance clubs that she found her passion.

“I was tomboy. I had a record collection. I bought some turntables and practiced a lot,” Ms. Bond, a former Wilhemina model, recalls with a laugh.

What started out as a hobby quickly became a vocation. And she rapidly proved to the music community, which wasn’t quite sure what to do with a female DJ at the time, that she was committed to her craft.

Beverly Bond

Ms. Bond is equally serious about the Black Girls Rock! mission — to provide positive images and role models to inspire the girls who attend the program.

“There are too many messages in the media that are too adult, one-sided, and objectify women,” she said. “I want them to know it’s cool to be smart and creative and to be their own age.” She cites 17-year-old actress Keke Palmer as a good age-appropriate contemporary for the girls.

The Black Girls Rock! community extends outside of the Clinton Hill neighborhood. Since 2006, the organization has hosted an awards show to honor individuals they recognize as Black Girls Making a Difference.

This year the awards show premieres on BET on Sunday, Nov. 7th from 8 to 10 p.m. Honorees include Raven Symone, Missy Elliott, Keke Palmer, Teresa Clarke, Ruby Dee, Major General Marcelite J. Harris and Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant. Nia Long hosted the Oct. 16 event, which included performances from Kelly Price, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott and Ledisi.

Even with all the celebrity surrounding the event, Ms. Bond is grateful to the Clinton Hill community for embracing the program. In particular, she cites Choice Greene, Joloff, Kush and the Associated Market on Fulton as supporters.

And Ms. Bond acknowledges that it is the girls who are the true inspiration. “I don’t care if they ever become DJs,” she said. “Through teaching them DJ techniques, I can see them become critical thinkers. That makes me feel proud.”

What makes the Black Girls Rock! special for the girls? “It feels like family,” replied Emily Carpenter. “We all help each other. Other programs make us competitive. But here we can be ourselves.”

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