Urban Grandstand Digital: It’s so wonderful to talk to you today. Thank you so much for granting us this opportunity.
Sara Stokes: Thank you for speaking with me once again about everything I have going on.
Urban Grandstand Digital: Definitely. So what has been going on? It’s been at least 7 years since I’ve talked to you.
Sara Stokes: Yea, it’s been a hot minute. I don’t know how to sum up all that I’ve done in that time. Family is first, and that's the biggest thing I’ve learned along the way. I did go back to school to get my license to be an Esthetician. I do skin care. I love skin care. I die for make-up. Other than that, I have my single that I just put out, working with James Worthy. I felt like he had my sound, and I’m at a point in my life where good things are happening. I feel like I’m summing it all up in this EP.
Urban Grandstand Digital: What has been your biggest lesson out of all you’ve endured? You were different among everyone else that was involved in the show. What has been the biggest lesson?
Sara Stokes: I learned the hard way that family is first. I went through some issues in the media, but it turned around for the positive. My mother and father always taught me to keep your head up, and don’t think it’s over. They've always said to just keep it moving basically. Family is there, and you have to know who is there for you and won’t kick you
when you’re down. My family has always been there.
Urban Grandstand Digital: How has your family suffered through everything, if you feel they have? What has the effect been on them?
Sara Stokes: I think anything negative can affect the family. Every family goes through something. Being in this industry, you miss birthdays, and your hours and days are taken. You have to be gone a lot, and you miss big things. The kids don’t really understand when the other kids have their parents there, but I have to take a plane to come in, if I can even come in. I feel like they suffered in that realm, but everyday stuff, like husband and wife drama. They see all the things going on, and they see people talking. They read some things, but I wouldn’t let them see everything. But my kids aren’t dumb. They’re grown now. One is out of high school and in college, and the other is graduating this year.
Urban Grandstand Digital: I was going to ask you about that too. Obviously when you were doing the show, they were still at a very young age, but I figured they had to be close to adulthood by now.
Sara Stokes: Yea, they’re looking at people like “if you talk about my mama one more time”…(laughing)… but they understand that families go through things. The question is are you going to stay in it, or come out and fix it, and move on. It's about what you do afterwards. That’s what I feel
like I have taught them. No matter what you go through, you still have to keep it moving, and you pick yourselves up because it ain’t over.
Urban Grandstand Digital: I also appreciate being able to catch up with you because you’re someone we like to profile. Much of our content centers around the idea that you can accomplish anything you want, and no matter what happens along the way, you can rise out of the drama and achieve the things you want.
Sara Stokes: Yea, and sometimes, your family may be the ones who are hurting you. They’re supposed to have you back, and when they don’t that’s worse than someone out there who doesn’t know you at all. I can pretty much dismiss it on the outside, but when it’s family, what’s up with that? But it shows you when you go through something who really is there for you. That’s who you run with, your A-One. And I have a song on my album called A-One.
Urban Grandstand Digital: When is the EP dropping?
Sara Stokes: I’m releasing that this year. I’m also in a new reality show. I really can’t talk about it too much, but I’m working with Nicci Gilbert, Queen Latifah, and James DuBose, and it’s really all about positivity. Of course it’ll show some of the drama I go through everyday, but it will show me making the album,
my children, and the positive things going on in my life.