Britni, Author at Brown Boy Genius

This Teen Runs a Six-Figure Business & Landed His Bow Ties in Neiman Marcus

By Britni on Mar 9, 2015 | 26 comments

Moziah Bridges is amazing. At the tender age of 11, he founded Mo’s Bows, a Memphis-based fashion company that sells colorful, handcrafted bow ties for men and boys. In just five years, Moziah has grown his company to five employees (including his mom), and more than $200,000 in revenues while he’s gotten a ton of media attention from major outlets like Forbes, Inc, O Magazine, and Vogue. Last year Moziah and his mom appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank to ask for investors in his growing business, but he left with something even better: a mentor. Although FUBU founder and Shark Tank star Daymond John refused to invest in the company (because he knew Mo was already doing great things), John offered to take the teen under his wing and is teach the young CEO how to take Mo’s Bows to a whole new level. Even more inspiring? Daymond’s leadership has inspired Moziah to give back as well. On his blog, Moziah explains just how important his relationship with John has been: I like to say that I was the real winner of Shark Tank because I got something more valuable than money. I got Daymond. Having a mentor is important because I get to learn from the best of the best, and because he gives me insight on what the fashion world is really like. …One day, I hope I can be as great of a mentor to someone else as Daymond has been to me. Recently, Shark Tank shared an update on Mo’s Bows and its awesome founder. Take a look....

After Ferguson, What Do Men & Boys of Color Think Of the Police? It’s Complicated

By Britni on Mar 4, 2015 | 0 comments

Last year, the topic of over-policing and police brutality bubbled to the surface after several high-profile killings made national news. The names Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice became household names when each were tragically killed by police last year, sparking protests across the nation and fueling a debate about what proper community policing looks like. Just this week the Department of Justice released a scathing report about widespread racial profiling, discrimination, and abuse by the police department in Ferguson, Missouri. Although the DOJ elected not to charge former officer Darren Wilson in the death of Mike Brown, the Justice Department’s investigation uncovered eye-opening details about racism in the department. Here are some highlights of the report: Members of the Ferguson PD circulated racist emails, including one featuring President Obama with the question: “What black man holds a steady job for four years?” Although Black residents make up 67% of residents in Ferguson, they accounted for 93% of all those arrested. 85% of all drivers stopped by police were Black In 14 incidents where police dogs were unleashed and people were bitten, all victims were Black. Ferguson has a total of 53 police officers, only 3 are Black. Read more here. The damming report illustrates a department rife with ingrained racism and in need of serious change. Ferguson MayorMayor James Knowles III has repeatedly insisted that there is “no racial divide” in his city, but many residents say otherwise. Against this backdrop of months of discussion and protests about policing, a Seattle production team asked 50 men and boys of color what they think of the police. And like any relationship, it’s complicated. Take a...

Here Are 3 Books We’re Loving Right Now

By Britni on Mar 2, 2015 | 1 comment

March 2nd is Read Across America Day and I thought it would be a good time to share a few more book picks for brown boys + let you in on what Le Kid and I are reading right now. Despite our nation’s diversity, most of the children’s books that hit bookshelves don’t include characters of color (about 93% in 2013). And while BrownBoyGenius hopes to change things one day, we will continue to highlight books that feature boys that look like our sons. As the mother of a reluctant reader I know how difficult it is to encourage kids—especially boys—to read. So far I’ve found success with books my son can relate to, like the EllRay Jakes series, but finding books with main characters who are boys of color can feel like a full time job. That’s why we’re here. Last year I compiled a list of 35 books every boy will love, and every now and then I’ll pop in to share what my son and I are reading and loving up on at the moment. But first… Check out 3 books we’re reading (and loving!) right now. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Peña & Christian Robinson I first heard about Last Stop on Market Street while listening to NPR. Author Matt De La Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson were explaining how the story came to be and it sounded like such an awesome story. Although I didn’t grow up taking the bus like the characters in the book, I did grow up spending a lot of time with both my maternal and paternal grandmothers, who were (and are) wonderful examples. Last Stop on Market Street is a beautiful picture book for young kids everywhere. Learn more here. Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome by Robby Novak & Brad Montague His name says it all. If you haven’t heard of Kid President (Robby Novak) by now, where have you been?! Le Kid and I LOVE his infectious personality, witty words, and inspiring message, and his first book—written with his brother-in-law (Brad Montague)—has all three. Learn more here. X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz & Kekla Magoon Malcolm X was assassinated fifty years ago. Since then, his popularity as a civil rights leader has grown and gained even more notoriety around the world. Still, Malcolm X is often misunderstood and seen as merely a “radical” who advocated violent uprisings, but his daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, is here to set the record straight. Though X: A Novel, Shabazz tells the story of her father’s life to explain how he became one of the most influential men of the 20th century. By the way, this book is perfect for teens. Learn more here. What are you and your BrownBoyGenius reading now? Share in the comments section below. ...

Do you think publicly embarrassing kids is a good way to keep them in line? Research suggests putting children on blast may actually do more harm than good. When I was a teacher, I witnessed one of my seventh graders get pimp slapped in front of the class by his father. It was the last period of the day and I was tired of him being disruptive, so I called his parents, which usually got most kids in line (albeit briefly). That day, I hoped my student’s parents would deal with him and hopefully convince him to change his behavior, but I wasn’t expecting him to get slapped in the middle of the classroom…in front of everyone. I was stunned, he was mortified, but his behavior didn’t change. I dunno about you, but I would have been DEVASTATED had that happened to me. I would have withdrawn, been pissed off at my parents, and maybe stopped talking all together….but it had the opposite effect on my student. Instead of getting himself together because he’d been embarrassed in front of his friends, he kept talking, kept being disruptive, and kept trying to prove he wasn’t a punk because his dad smacked him down in front of the class. I was reminded of this incident after hearing a Florida mom was arrested earlier this week after her daughter showed up at school sporting a white t-shirt with a message about her failing grades scrawled across the front. According to officials, the middle schooler also had visible bruises from an “excessive” beating by her mother, Melany Alexander, and a threat for more if she didn’t get her act together. Alexander is being held without bond, but her form of “discipline” isn’t unique. Publicly shaming children, especially on social media, is nothing new. If you’re on Facebook you’ve probably seen a picture of a young boy with his hair cut to look like an old man’s receding hairline. The message? Stop acting grown. Back in 2012, a North Carolina dad made national news when he filmed himself pumping bullets into his daughter’s laptop after the teen went on an expletive-filled Facebook rant about her parents. Last year, a video of dad viciously beating his teen daughter for allegedly running away to hang out with boys went viral. Many gave the dad props for teaching the young woman a lesson, but between the hair pulling and name-calling, all I saw was abuse. As a parent, I understand why some attempt to shame their children into acting right. Many times they’re frustrated and embarrassed by their children’s actions. And sometimes they just don’t know what else to do. At times, parenting feels impossibly hard, but using shame as a discipline tactic just doesn’t work either. Why? Head over to MommyNoire to read the...

Must Watch: This Sesame Street ‘House of Cards’ Parody is AWESOME

By Britni on Feb 25, 2015 | 0 comments

Frank Underwood got a makeover. The iconic, and shrewd, lead of Netflix’s hit drama House of Cards made his way to Sesame Street, and it’s downright awesome. Just days before Netflix launches the third season of its highly-anticipated political drama, the folks over at Sesame Street decided to retell the Three Little Pigs through a spot-on parody of House of Cards. In this version, the wolf takes on Underwood’s Southern drawl and cunning personality to retell the classic story and teach kids about math. What could be more awesome than that? Take a look. Are you a House of Cards fan? What did you think of Sesame Street’s...