Tulsa, Oklahoma has a rich and painful history for Black people (sadly many places in America do). BOMESI co-founders Rhonesha Byng and DéVon Christopher Johnson were thoughtful in their decision to host Black Owned Media Weekend here for a second time. This event is a product of the seeds planted by Black business owners in North Tulsa during the early 20th century. June 16th – 19th was also a fitting weekend for the conference as it culminated on Juneteenth (a holiday that celebrates the announcement of freedom in 1865 to enslaved Africans in Texas). This was a weekend of knowledge, reflection, and fun!
Here’s a recap:
Day 1, June 16th
As many were flying and checking into their hotels for the weekend, BOMESI Accelerator: Upfront took place at Hotel Indigo. This program nurtures promising Black-owned media companies and provides them with information on business fundamentals, monetization strategies, ad sales, and audience expansion.
Each company displayed the new business tools they acquired and will use on the next step of their journey. Congratulations to the first cohort: Bauce, BK Reader, Parlé, Watch the Yard, Luz Collective, CultureBanx, and The Curvy Fashionista!
Day 2, June 17th
After a sweet breakfast at Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge (a Black owned store), there was a walking tour with Kode Ransom. He gave a history lesson on the Greenwood District and the businesses that were there prior to the massacre. Inside the Greenwood Rising Black Wall St. History Center, there was a lot of heavy, but necessary imagery to see. It ranges from an interactive old-school barber shop to the display of KKK uniforms. There is also a section designed for visitors who may need to take a break and process their emotions. If you haven’t gone, it’s a must. After leaving the museum, a lunch was held at the Agora event center co-sponsored by Build in Tulsa.
BOMESI did NOT disappoint with their speaker line-up. There was a powerful message from our keynote speaker, Eboni K. Williams about being the writers of our stories. She spoke with Nicole Ellis about taking control of the narrative given to Black Americans. Tracie Powell moderated a panel with Nehemiah Frank, Greg Watkins, Alfred Edmond Jr, and Kori Hale about unity in the Black-owned media community. DéVon moderated a panel about investing through media buying in Black-owned media platforms, featuring Nicole Hayes (Discover), Michelle Matos-Becerra (Kargo), and Sam Doliner (Kargo). Dustin Ross and Mandii B. gave us their take on “getting to the bag.”
“I was on time. I didn’t miss deadlines. I worked harder and longer than anybody else. My co-workers did too,” Dustin Ross shared with us on the growth of his podcast, The Friend Zone.
Many ended their night at Juneteenth celebrations in the city or using their vouchers at the Black-owned Caribbean restaurant, Sisserou’s.
Day 3, June 18th
The final day started with moderator Melanie Figueiredo and panelists Reggie Gustavo, C. Zawadi Morris, Munson Steed, and Kristina Rios talking about the ever changing landscape of media and how brands are striving to be more inclusive in their content and investments.
“It\’s your responsibility to manifest your opportunities and negotiate with everyone yourself,” Munson Steed passionately expressed during his panel focused on navigating business deals as a Black publisher.
LGBTQ media and Black storytelling was explored with Antonio “Tony” Neville and Ryan Mitchell. After a delicious lunch co-sponsored by Undertone, guests chose two out of three workshops to attend. One workshop was about maximizing revenue. Another centered on the stresses of having a media business and how to delegate. The third workshop was about content creation and the emergence of AI in media.
At the closing reception, everyone was sharing their weekend adventures. Business cards weren’t the only thing exchanged throughout the conference. People made friends and got to explore an important part of American history that is often glossed over in school. Guests who attended the inaugural conference said that this one topped it! They were leaving with new information they could take back and share to take their companies to the next level. There is hope that the media industry will continue to grow and more diverse voices will be heard.
