(ThyBlackMan.com) This is the age for women of color and culture to be engaged with technology locally, but thinking globally. This is what I teach my students in my Educational Technology, Social Media and STEM class at Edward Waters College. They all matter in the grand scheme of this developing nation.
The ability to tell a story is not limited to simplistic writing or blogging, the new move is towards “Mobile Film Making” and “Mobile Microblogging,” and “Video Blogging.” The use of phones, tablets and even watches has opened new doors for using mobile devices to allow women of color and culture to be filmmakers, creating documentaries and sharing the growth of women of all colors and cultures their journey’s implementing technology.
The integration of digital devices that are mobile provides the opportunity to present stories in real time and with unprecedented 
accuracy. Not using props, make believe backgrounds or even deadpan musical play overs and sound effects. Girls and Women of color are discovering their creativity with mobile technology and throwing away fears to embrace innovation and encourage new creative ideas.
In the recent article shared with me by my dear friend Tiffany Duhart (@asktdn), an original Black Girl Magic sister, before there was a Black Girl Magic, she shared the article “Using Mobile Film Making to Tell Stories,” 4/20/16 in Black Enterprise Mobile by Kali Wilder.
Matthew Cherry an independent film maker has created critically acclaimed movies using his iPhone6s. His intent is to inspire people especially youth, teens and young adults to use tech in a positive way by integrating mobile technology to help tell their stories and implementing Social Media to broadcast. Girls and women of color are becoming influential innovators and even thought leaders in applying technology to real world applications.
“It doesn’t matter about the camera you shoot on it’s all about the story.” Kali Wilder
Technology provides a unique opportunity for people of color and culture especially young people to tell their stories on a global and interactive platform. Interactivity provides immediate feedback and draws the attention of the intended audiences.
Social Media provides platforms that encourage the creation of dynamic and original content. Vblogging, Microblogging, Podcasting, and other platforms for the most part are free and easily accessible on phones and tablets.
Content Creation is King…………..
Cherry points out that artist can use those platforms to support levels of engagement. There is an awesome networking potential for women of color that allows for increased exposure to issues that affect them. The movement building great momentum of #BlackGirlMagic is cross generational and allows girls and women to network and share intellectual resources, talents and abilities. Girls are no longer afraid of technology because they see their creativity, they express a passion that boys in many cases do not possess.
In my Educational Technology and Social Media course, blogging is a foundation for learning, as technology advances people of color must advance as well when integrating and being creators of content not just consumers. Blogging allows for reading, comprehensional growth and allowing boys and girls to find their skillsets because not everyone is a coder, is not a developer, but has their skillsets that can be enhanced and magnified when tech is properly applied.
Educational Technology in many schools has diverse instructional directions and applications, the goal for my curriculum is to make sure students are exposed to and utilize platforms to teach them to create their Brand and Market themselves. I hope to inspire both young men and women to think strategically. Each person, especially Black Girl Magic girls and women need to be the CEO’s of themselves.
Being the CEO’s of themselves means they have to chart their course, define their Brand(s) and how to effectively Market themselves beyond local visibility to global awareness and integration in the diversity of technology. Examples come in the form of Melissa James – Founder and CEO of The Tech Connection and Sherrell Dorsey – Founder of “ThePLUG” both can be heard on the program Blacks In Technology https://www.blacksintechnology.net/
Their Brands represent them so must be based on a solid foundation that others can connect too and relate too. The tools are there, right at the finger tips literally so why not integrate them in creating positive content that gives women of color with Black Girl Magic a chance to tell their stories and enhance their hustle.
People of color and culture have access to tools, platforms, digital devices to share their diversity in their SoLoMo journeys. Girls and women of Black Girl Magic, must understand their digital presence is influenced and influences their So-cial interactions for future opportunities to grow, their Lo-cal exposure to be seen by people to help them move in the direction they want to go locally and globally, and the power of Mo-bile technology engages video and instant development and sharing. SoLoMo Girls and women of color and culture are advised to READ, network and share resources to help them grow. They must be creators of content, designers of digital devices and Apps to make a difference and a change in the perceptions created about them by others. BGM is moving past a movement, it is maturing into a sentient being for girls and women of color.
Telling a story is the core to sharing information, to the exchange of ideas and values. For centuries people of color and culture have used storytelling to tell their stories. The dynamic must change when sharing information, it must begin to be interactive and engaging to reach the youth that are changing the world. Black Girl Magic opens new opportunities for growth with video to allow girls and women of color and culture to leap over those that are not supporting their growth and smashing the glass ceilings above them.
Resources:
Black Enterprise Mobile
Matthew Cherry on Twitter @matthewcherry
“Using Mobile Film Making to Tell Stories,” 4/20/16 in Black Enterprise Mobile story by Kali Wilder
#BITTechTalk Ep. #101
Sherrell Dorsey – Founder of ThePLUG:
https://www.blacksintechnology.net/bittechtalk-ep-101-w-sherrell-dorsey-founder-theplug/
Blacks In Technology: https://www.blacksintechnology.net/
Staff Writer; William D. Jackson
Find out more about this talented writer over at; OCS For Education.
