October 3rd, for 47 years has been India.Arie’s birthday, and today we celebrate that by sharing how India has impacted TheBLACKMedia, and the owner, Tahir Coleman Register (pictured above) throughout the years. Without India, TheBLACKMedia may not exist, but here’s why:
In 2001, when I was around 11 years old, I was a young musician. In the 4th grade I picked up the clarinet at Avon Avenue Elementary school. There was a new program for students to learn how to play instruments, VH1 Save the Music, and I took advantage. It was through this program, and my very first music teacher, Mr Shealy that I was able to meet India.Arie.
I was already a fan, who didn’t love “Video” by India.Arie?
India.Arie, Mariah Carey, Bill Clinton, and others joined together at LA Spencer Elementary School in 2001 and did a press conference, and I was there, front and center. India was beautiful! Her locs were powerful, and her presence was strong, I had no idea one day I would call her a friend.
After getting a BA in Music I started TheBLACKMedia in June of 2013. A week later I wrote my first article, it was a single review for India.Arie’s new song, “Just Do You”. That was also the day I’d launched the website, I had no money, but I had a vision. The website was free, it was theblackmedia.wordpress.com! I was embarrassed by the very obviously free esthetic, but India didn’t care, she retweeted the article and thanked me for writing it!
It was that day that I knew I was on to something. A positive platform, no gossip, no rumors, steeped in Blackness, and uplifting our people and India likes it?! I had to keep going!
Without this sign of approval, I wouldn’t have went as hard as I did throughout the years after that because I wouldn’t have felt it was worthy. India retweeting that sparked several others reaching out to TheBLACKMedia for me to write reviews, including Algebra Blessett. I was inspired, thank you India.
From there, I created what we all know today as TheBLACKMedia.org. I continued to support India.Arie, but also continued to be a fan hoping one day she sees my tweets, and one day, she did. Around 2015, India posted a video of herself singing in a music store to the song we all know today as; “Follow The Sun” from her album “Worthy”. I was obsessed. I kept tweeting her asking if it was her song, or a cover, because it sounded so timeless.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx9KDcGubcP/?img_index=2
Not only was it her song, she eventually responded to tell me it was, and that sparked what I believe to be the beginning of our friendship. Throughout the years we started communicating more, she sent me her EP “SongVersation Medicine” with lovely hand written notes, and autographs, she told her followers to follow me at TheBLACKMedia and would tell anyone who I was and what I was doing. How could I not go on?
In 2018, India.Arie invited me to her sold out concert in Atlanta and granted me exclusive singular press access with behind the scene access, filming, photographing, and more!
India believed that moment to’ve been the first time we met, but as I let you all know, as I let her know that day, we met when I was a child. Although she didn’t remember me per say, she remembered the moment and couldn’t believe it! Then we gagged about some personal things, laughed, talked and she went on stage and did what she does!
India.Arie, thank you, thank you a million times over for all you do, for inspiring me, befriending me, and teaching me through existing how to be a decent person in a powerful position. I hope reading this brings you joy, light, and happy tears, my company, my baby, wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you retweeting me. I am forever grateful!
There’s so much more I could say, maybe one day I will, but for now, find India.Arie on Instagram and say Happy Birthday Queen!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwG6BSHpJ9o/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
