Impact Detroit Magazine Impact Detroit Magazine 2013 | Page 82

REA L T A L K W I T H R O L A ND
Actually, it was before that. I was
already in the business almost a
decade before I joined ‘’Savoy
Magazine ’’ I had already functioned
in many different capacities before I
began to work with ‘’Savoy
Magazine.’’ Before that I was
Managing Editor for Black
newspapers.
In terms of the
commentary and things along those
lines, I actually started writing
commentary opinions when I was
seventeen years old. I wrote columns
when I was interning at Brian
College and also when I was
interning at the Houston Defender in
1990. I was already well on my way
to establishing a very clear point of
view at that age.
When you began writing your own
column, it was picked up by
Creators Syndicate and distributed
nationally to major newspapers like
the Detroit News, Denver Post, and
Indianapolis Star. Having your
column published in Detroit and
other cities, did you adjust your
style of writing and themes for your
articles per city?
I joined Creators Syndicate in 2002.
They were syndicated and distributed
to different papers. Detroit was one
of those papers. Keep in mind, the
primary reasons they picked me up
was because I laid out a fresh
perspective for the 21st century. I did
not adjust my style of writing or
have different themes per city. The
column was nationally syndicated. I
was writing from a post-Civil Rights

participated by stepping with your
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers.
(Side-note: I viewed the video of the
stepping ceremony and noticed that
you are quite a stepper.)
The
stepping ceremony showed unity,
fellowship between men and
brought back your college
memories. Share with our young
readers, the importance of going to
college and the Impact it had in
your life. Also, how important was
Having previously served as owner
it to earn membership into the
and publisher of Dallas-Fort Worth
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity?
Heritage, a Christian monthly
newspaper that folded within a year, First off, the most important thing to
what learning experiences can you me when it comes to education is,
share. How did you use these young people must understand and
lessons learned to turn around the realize that Education is obviously
an important part of being able to
Chicago Defender?
grow in this country. The thing about
When I left Black America.com I
Black Greek Fraternities and
partnered with another gentleman.
Sororities is that our college days are
We were looking at the various
simply a part of the process. Because
media opportunities and one of the
being a member of a fraternity or
ones that popped up was Christian
sorority is really a life-long
Monthly. It was a unique opportunity
commitment. Of course, we love to
for us to be able to take it over. Sure,
have fun and play what I call “the
it had its ups and downs. We really
Greek dozens” back and forth with
tried to make it traditional. So we reone another. We’re all trying to outdid the entire layout, with a new
rank each other. It truly is a matter of
redesign. The biggest challenge for
community service or being able to
us was corporate distribution, in
better our community.
addition to having the resources to
build and grow a newspaper. It was Whether you are a high school or
an experience. We learned a lot in college student, I do not care which
terms of being able to be on the one you are, we have to instill in the
business side of the industry. It was next generation a sense of work
an experience we learned a lot from. ethic. This is one of the things I
constantly talk about. Understand
When you attended the National
that it is strong work ethic that will
Black MBA annual conference in
get you through. Unfortunately
Atlanta, Georgia in 2011, you
perspectives. It wasn’t a traditional
perspective. When you think back
ten or twelve years ago, you had very
few African Americans who could be
syndicated across the country. There
were also very few young folks who
were syndicated. They picked me up
when I was 33 years old. It really
was about establishing a different
and unique voice that could be of
interest to readers across the country.