Kara's Blog
Kara's Blog

Antoine Dodson, an Overnight Brand

Laugh if you want to, but where else, other than in America, could a news story become one of the most downloaded songs on the iTunes singles music chart while at the same time catapulting the interviewee into one of the hottest brands on the Internet? 

Antoine Dodson, a young man living in a housing project in Huntsville, Ala., thwarted what would have been adevastating crime committed against his sister, when he stopped an intruder in his home from raping her.  The crime, in and of itself was very serious, but what happened after the incident and with Antoine’s animated interview with WAFF in Huntsville, in any other day and time,  would have not been taken seriously. But our day and time is unlike any other in our history when it comes to instant branding and notoriety.  Admittedly, when I first saw the news report in a friend's Twitter feed, I had to write back and ask if the interview was a joke because I had never seen anyone act the way he did, but as I and others have discovered, the interview was legit and what happened next even more legitimate.

Auto-Tune the News, a company owned by the Gregory brothers out of Brooklyn, NY, is a company that has made the brothers famous from making music out of the news, saw Antoine’s animated rant in the Huntsville TV interview and decided to set it to music.  “The Bed Intruder Song,” was the result.   What is incredible to me is that after the song went viral, so did Antoine, making him an instant brand.   At the end of August, the song hit number 37 on the iTunes Singles chart ahead of Lady Gaga, and with that position came the national news stories on The Today Show and a one-on-one interview with Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News

The media correctly reporteed that the Gregory Brothers are giving 50 percent of the sales of the song to Antoine.  And it has sold big.  Some may argue that the Gregory Brothers were capitalizing on Antoine’s family and their tragedy, I could argue that with Antoine’s buy-in, they have made negative tragedy a positive and some good is coming out of it. 

The song has been so popular that it hit Billboard’s Top 100 in late August and Antoine now has enough money to move his family to a safer neighborhood.  Antoine also is capitalizing on his “new found” fame (and in my opinion rightfully so) through sales of t-shirts and other items on his website.  His Facebook page has more than 186,000 fans and he tweets, which keeps him Top of Mind in my eyes.  He’s doing what other celebrities, companies and organizations do; he has found a niche and is marketing it.  Only time will tell if his "brand" will go beyond its 15 minutes. But for now, Antoine is doing what he needs to do to keep his brand alive.  What likely was supposed to be a spoof by Auto-Tune the News continue to make big bucks for the Gregory Brother's company as well as for Antoine. Antoine’s popularity has grown to the point that he is getting invitations to entertainment awards shows. 

What’s even more fascinating to me is how marketing and branding on the Internet has become that powerful.  Most of us who are veterans in the PR field would like to think that social networking and social media are passing fads.  In my personal opinion, they are not, but rather a sea change in the way PR practitioners market their clients.   What use to take PR professionals years to accomplish in getting their clients noticed, can literally only take days or hours to accomplish if the messaging is appealing, catches on and goes viral.    But finding the message that catches on is key.   For now, it seems the Gregory Brothers have, leaving Antoine the one who’s laughing.  Laughing all the way to the bank that is.

 Editor’s note:  And yes, I downloaded the song on iTunes.  In case you haven't seen the song click below. 

Out of The Darkness Into the Light - Article Reprint from B-Metro Magazine


Editor's Note:  October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Tahiera has chosen to shave her head in to bring awareness to Domestic Violence.  I wrote this article in April as part of my Leading Women Blog for B-Metro Magazine.


If you knew that by attempting to take your own life, that you would be saving the lives of your children. Could you do it?

Tahiera Monique Brown did.

After two years of living as prisoners in their own home in Atlanta, Barbara Clark as she was called, attempted suicide to save her children from being sexually assaulted and abused by a stalker that decided one day after calculating her every move, that he would hold Tahiera and her children hostage and in plain sight.

He did so in front of her family and friends threatening to kill anyone who interfered. Even colleagues at work were intimidated to the point that they would not offer Tahiera any help. I wasn’t sure she would allow me to interview her about this ordeal, but she did. I have read her book Annihilator of Innocence, and I have to admit it was difficult for me to read about what happened to her during those two years. 

I cannot even get my hands around it because it is so unimaginable to me that Tahiera went through what she did, let alone survived it. But she did and her children have too. Her stalker virtually had total physical and mental control over Tahiera and he was able to do so by constantly threatening to kill her, her children, her family and others she knew. He was behind bars, convicted of raping Tahiera’s daughter, but has been released. Taheira's fight is far from over. She now has embarked on a mission to help others who are survivors or who may suffer from domestic violence.

The defining moment for her after two years of horror, Tahiera told me was that she had to do something to save her children after the ‘Old Man’ told her that he was going to kill the children and bury them on the way to California. Somehow, she said knew that this time, he meant what he said. There was no turning back for her at this point so she made the decision to do what she had to do to save her children’s lives.

“The story of my journey: It isn't only about tragedy and pain ... it's not a catharsis or a healing ... it's about the triumph of my survival. As a survivor telling my story, it constantly puts salt in the wounds of the past. If I had died then others would try to reason my demise, by analyzing what made me choose my victimizer, instead of why did this victimizer choose this victim? After my victimizer was sentenced to prison for raping my daughter, I had to face the challenge to raise my children in a foreign land. You see the choice I took to save my children's lives left me in a coma and then amnesia. I had to relearn everything all over again, including my children, who were now strangers to me. We dealt with poverty and seeing our meager belongings put out on the side of the road to face homelessness. I have stood in the food stamp lines and the welfare lines, but I was not ashamed. I realized quickly that you had to arrive early to be in the number. Too late ... no help,” said Tahiera Monique Brown, author and lecturer.

I asked why she decided to tell her story and she said that she had lived in fear long enough. “One day I visited a priest at a convent and I asked God this question; "What am I supposed to do? God, I know you didn't save me for nothing ... help me Lord to go through this fear. Give me the courage to help others!" The priest answered to me; "Why not you! It is you ... now what are you going to do about it?"

What the priest told her she also remembered hearing before when she was struggling with what to do with her life after she got out of the hospital. She knew, she told me, deep down in her soul what she needed to do. She had to start sharing and enduring, and begin speaking as a survivor.

When she did start speaking she said she was mocked, criticized and loathed. Tahiera added, “I took my stripes and God brought into my life, people who needed to be a part of change, and they wanted to be loved and they loved me with no strings attached. These friends burned the midnight hours with me as I prepared for this journey. Even when it seemed like I was looking to do the impossible, they stood by to push me forward into my dream to be doing what I am doing today.”

Tahiera is a remarkable woman who often speaks about this journey as she calls it. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Prescott House, an organization that focuses on children who have been sexually and physically abused. She also supports the work of Alabama organizations and state lobbyists, who lobby for tougher laws against domestic violence. She also told me that she has signed an option agreement to make a movie about her life.

“My goal is to be able to reach out from beyond the darkness and share how I overcame victimization and became a survivor. I plan to increase my presence and the presence of others,” Tahiera stated.

At the close of our interview, I asked Tahiera for some words of advice and she had this to say: “Challenges are a part of life. Life is a privilege and you have to work at it. Don't be afraid of change and you will be able to walk away from pain and suffering. You are taught to always say yes, but learn the power of 'No'. Look your challenges square in the face and you will see that it is only there to stay if you are not willing to make a change. When I was about to be homeless for the third time ... I looked at the situation, not as a problem, but the beginning of a solution. I realized that I had to rethink poverty and why it was in my life. I believed that in spite of two heart broken children that had endured the unthinkable and a child with cerebral palsy, success was beckoning me.”

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence defines battery as a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person with whom an intimate relationship is or has been shared through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Battering happens when one person believes that they are entitled to control another.

In Alabama, SOAR and the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence are working hard to update and address some issues in the Protection From Abuse Act (PFA) which is a law that allows a victims to provide civil protection from her abuser and any violation would be a law enforcement intervention unlike a restraining order, as well as on another law that changes some of the domestic violence offenses to more stringent charges. These are SB 168 and SB 134. (Thank you to Lisa McNeil at the Alabama Coalition of Domestic Violence for providing the lobbying information to me for this article).

If you are a victim of domestic violence or feel you are being stalked please seek help now.

Agencies that can help:

SOAR (Survivors Overcoming Abusive Relationships) 

Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence

For more information about Tahiera Monique Brown’s book: http://www.annihilatorofinnocence.com/

B-Metro: www.b-metro.com 

Finding Comfort: A Visit to Ground Zero

Photo by Kara Kennedy

Overcome with emotion, that's how I felt when I finally made it to see Ground Zero last October on a weekend girls' trip to New York City.  All of my September 11 experience was in Washington, DC working for the American Red Cross National Headquarters, although I was asked on several occasions by the head of the Disaster Relief Public Affairs if I would go to New York to work in Public Affairs, I never had the opportunity.  The events in DC were just too overwhelming.  It wasn't until last October, after DC and my job at the Red Cross were only memories, did I finally make it to see where the Twin Towers had been.  We walked from the Staten Island Ferry to Ground Zero and as we arrived at the site, I could feel the anxiety building up inside.  To some degree the area was still deserted and some of the office buildings were empty.  I didn't know what to expect, but I knew I wanted to see the site. For about 15 minutes I stood staring at the fencing around the area with a photo attached that showed the memorial plans for the site.  On the crane at the construction site was an American Flag flapping in the wind.  Another reminder for me that we live in a free country.  A few hours earlier, I got to see the Statute of Liberty from the deck of the ferry.  

We turned down a side street to walk away from Ground Zero, and as we walked I looked up and noticed the scorched apartment building that also was unoccupied.  I couldn't have imagined living in that building.  Running through my mind were thoughts about who may have been at home at the time and how horrified the person must have been to be an eye-witness to what was going on across the street.  Especially when it came to light that the attacks were not an accident, as many suspected early on when the first plane hit the first tower.  

As we continued to walk, we walked toward Trinity Wall Street  (St. Paul's Chapel) Episcopal Church, which I discovered served as the place of solace for the first responders, volunteers and others who worked the disaster site. Trinity sits directly across from Ground Zero, and but for debris in the courtyard, the church had no damage from the terrorist attack, fires or collapse of the towers.  We went into the church.  I could not believe what I saw as we entered the door.  Gifts, cards letters, photos, stuff animals, rosaries, crosses, bibles that Trinity had received from all over the world were in kiosk-type stations all over the sanctuary of the church and in the pews.  Trinity has become a museum, memorial of sorts for victims, survivors and first responders.  As I strolled through the mementos, emotion began to overcome me.  Memories of being in DC and in working for the American Red Cross and that day all came rushing back to me all at once.  I couldn't contain the tears. I couldn't contain the emotion, and there was more and more of it as I walked around the church.   I ended up going outside the church to try to compose myself.  There in the outside entry way were photos and historical markers that chronicled the events of September 11 as well as the days and weeks after and the role that Trinity played in relief and recovery.  Working for the Red Cross you're trained to deal with almost any situation to best of your ability. And I know those in the Red Cross office in New York faced an enormous task after 9-11.  I know also that they worked tirelessly to help the victims and their families.  The events alone in Washington were overwhelming enough for those of us there, but I truly did not grapse the enormity of the disaster relief effort in New York until my visit to Ground Zero and Trinity Church eight years later.   

September 11 changed America forever.  It changed the lives of its victims and their families forever.  It changed the lives of those who survived forever. And for the most part it changed me forever.   The day was surreal, chaotic, scary and emotional, but all of those adjectives mean nothing now that I've walked through the sanctuary of Trinity. Compassion, comfort, love, dedication, humanitarianism, fellowship and volunteerism are the words I use to describe the many volunteers (Red Crossers too), first responders, police officers, firemen, priests, doctors, nurses, dogs that helped the victims, families, survivors and people of the great City of New York on and after that fateful day.   

Never Forget.  



Audacity of It All: BP and the Media

As I watch the events of the last few weeks unfold from BP's disaster with the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, I can't help but notice the sheer audacity of it all as it relates to the spokespersons for BP.  They are cavalier at best. The lack of compassion and care for what this man-made disaster has done to a region that just five short years ago was devastated to the point that it still has not recovered, is truly beyond my comprehension.  I am not sure why it is not getting through to BP representatives that New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region are a major hub for commerce.   Or maybe it is getting through, but the BP executives are still holding a grudge because the British were defeated in the War of 1812. 

If I stop and really think about my courses in college in PR 101 or media relations 101, I believe I am correct when I say that all PR spokesmen should state the facts and tell the truth.  Neither of which I have seen when BP executives are in front of the camera.  As a CEO of a multi-billion dollar oil company, Tony Hayward had the audacity to say early on that "in the grand scheme of things this oil spill is small compared to the vast ocean." (paraphrased), and  just last week announced with cameras rolling that he "would like his life back."  My question is where does he get the gumption to make such statements.  If I had been his PR person (I am glad I am not) I definitely would have stripped him of his spokesperson duties, after the first statement he made.  But now, with "I want my life back"  statement, I would definitely have to take steps to have him removed as CEO.  Nothing he has said has helped him or his company.   If he wanted his life back so badly, why didn't he do the right thing from the beginning and maybe this disaster would not have happened.  Could it be greed?

 I am sure that the people of Louisiana want their lives back too, especially when they haven't had normal lives since 2005.  

As if all of this is not enough, I heard today that another BP official made this statement: "Louisiana is not the only place that has shrimp."  Ok, maybe not, but they are the only place that provides a majority of the seafood to the United States.  And they are the only place with a tradition and history that are so deep and rich; and which has been handed down for centuries.  I guarantee this history will exist long after BP as a corporation is a faded memory.  

I say to BP: Shut Up.  Gather all the world's experts and bring them to Louisiana. Find a solution and make it work.  After all is said and done, APOLOGIZE to the people of Louisiana, the Gulf Coast and the United States.  Do what you can to help the eco-system recover.  Help the displaced fishermen and workers.  

Then in the end, study the rich cultural history of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.  So you can find out why this area and its people matter.  

The audacity of it all.

New: Leading Women Blog at B-Metro Magazine


Recently, I began writing a blog on Leading Women for B-Metro Magazine, a magazine about Birmingham Metro Living.  The blog will focus on Alabama women doing extraordinary things in business and in life.  From time-to-time I will tackle women's issues that may be difficult to discuss, nevertheless, too important not to discuss. 

I am grateful to the B-Metro Magazine staff for this opportunity. 



What is Birmingham to Do Now?

Now that the election of Birmingham, Alabama's fourth Mayor in three months is over, I have to now question, What is Birmingham to Do Now?  

The local government in Birmingham is in bad need of leadership.  I don't mean to be pessimistic, but with the corruption, conviction and complacency of the last three years, how else can I be?  I was born and raised in Birmingham, and I have a lived a majority of my life here, but my disappointment in the City's electorate goes deep, and for the most part, I throw up my hands.  I don't really know what we can do to get rid of the three "C's" as I see it.  My only thoughts are of a City with so much potential and trying to find reasons why we will always be a city with so much potential.  

The bright sides of the Birmingham region are there and they are key, but the universal perception is that all those regions  make up Birmingham, well at least to the national news media that's the way it is seen.  It's hard for me to understand why people can't grasp the concept of what happens in the city center proper does have affect on all of the cities surrounding the center.  

I attended the State of the City Address in the City of Fultondale this morning.  Fultondale is a City just north of the city center. As I listened to all of the accomplishments of 2009 and the plans for 2010 that the Mayor, City Council and  Chamber outlined, a thoughts occurred to me:  how can a city just outside of Birmingham be so organized and prepared for growth?  What if anything can be done to replicate the same positive growth in the City Center?  

The solution in my opinion could just be the formation of a Council of Mayors.    

Birmingham, Jefferson County, the cities in Jefferson County and the surrounding counties (Blount, St. Clair, Walker and Shelby) could come together and form a North Central Alabama Council of Mayors to operate as one body for the betterment of the area.  The City and County governments could all maintain their independence as governments, but they would come together to work on big projects, make regional decisions and to solve bigger problems in the region as a whole.  I envision the Council would take on any project or problem no matter where the project or problem originated from.  The Council would elect an Executive Committee to include a Chair and Vice Chair to oversee the council as a whole.  In my opinion a Council like this would be a guarantee that the Birmingham region would grow and prosper.  The Council may also ensure the transparency that is desperately needed in government today.  Funding of the organization, I am sure, would be the first topic of conversation in the formation of the Council.  As I see it, the way to fund this type of Council is through grants, private donations, corporate donations and membership fees from each of the governments.   A nonprofit corporation status, bylaws and the executive committee, could be assurances to preventing power struggles.  

But of course the formation of a Council of Mayors takes a huge commitment and it requires buy-in from all of the governments in and around Birmingham.  

The questions now is:  Would the governments in and around Birmingham be willing to make a commitment to a concept like this?  Oh how I wish they would. 


Helping Haiti Out of Compassion and Love

The disaster in Haiti is beyond tragic. It in my mind it ranks right up there with some of the major disasters of the last decade. There is so much death and destruction in a country that had minimal infrastructure at best; it is utterly a shocking, heart-wrenching scene, and I have only seen the television reports and images.   I can barely look at the images from Haiti and the stories of no medical care available or basic necessities is heart-breaking.   I immediately sent money to a couple organizations by texting with my cell phone.  It was a no brainer for me.  

My desire to help those who are hurting comes naturally, always has.  But I have to say in this forum here, that I am angry and appalled by what has been said during the last few days by those who have been given a microphone and air time to say whatever they feel, whenever they feel.  I'd like to think that these so called broadcast celebrities have said these things without thinking, but the sad part is that they have said similar things before. 
    
Since when does love and compassion for another human life and the desire to help warrant being politicized?  

I hate the rush to judgment of a people that these broadcast celebrities have.  They have stooped so low and have called  the people of Haiti evil.  They even said that the Haitians deserved what they got.  My questions to these broadcast celebrities are: do they even know the people of Haiti?  Have they ever walked in the Haitian people's shoes?  Of course not, all they think about are ratings for their show and politicizing all facets of life.  They are selfish and shameless. 

How can you call a child pinned under rubble, who is still alive, calling for help an evil person? Or people wailing and crying from injuries they sustained in the disaster, but who are waiting patiently for help to arrive?  All of these people are evil and deserve what they have suffered?  I THINK NOT.  I do hope that the networks, sponsors and people who keep listening to these broadcast celebrities' garbage give them what they deserve and take them off the air.   I am not sure what cloth these broadcast celebrities are cut from, but I have to question if they are even human.  

People are hurt, they are dying and they have no basic needs.  The people of Haiti need our love and compassion, not our judgment or criticism. 

To Donate to the American Red Cross: Text "haiti" to 90999 on your cell phone

OR Donate Below to Oxfam by clicking the ad. 


  
Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped                                                                             
                                                                                                                      Photo: Associated Press  A 14-year old girl wails after finding out that her brother was killed at school. 

Thanksgiving

President Lincoln first declared Thanksgiving an official national holiday back in 1863, and since that time we have celebrated the settlement of Plymouth in 1621 and the Pilgrims gathering with the Native Americans for a feast and Thanksgiving.  

When we think about the centuries that have passed since, we have to also stop and give thanks and gratitude for what we have, and we do have a lot to be grateful for.  No matter how hard times get, we all can point to something that we are grateful for.

I am grateful for:

Living in a nation where I have the right to enjoy many freedoms. 

The right to vote. 

Having the opportunity to pursue my dreams.

My loving, caring family, whom I can turn to in times of need and they can turn to me in their times of need.

The many friends who are caring and loving. 

Being given the chance to have a career I enjoy.

The opportunity to learn from my colleagues and from others.  

Having the opportunity to help and give to others.

Having the opportunity to make a difference in some small way in others lives. 

Having plenty to eat.  So many in our nation and world suffer from hunger.


These are just a few of the things I am thankful for.   I also hope you take the time to reflect on what you're grateful for this season.  

Wishing you love, peace and joy this Thanksgiving Day.  













The Impact of September 11

Eight years ago as I sat at my desk at the National Headquarters of the American Red Cross watching live television news coverageof the twin towers being hit by airplanes and then crumble to the ground in New York.  Little did I know that in a few short minutes later another plane would crash into the Pentagon just across the Potomac. It’s the aftermath of 9/11 I want to concentrate on now.  We all as a nation were shocked beyond belief that such a horrific event would happen in our day and time. But what came after the attack was truly extraordinary by anyone’s account.

After the attack you had scores of people donating money to help the victims and their families, billions of dollars were given.  People came out in droves to donate blood, lining up around the corner of the Red Cross offices in DC and at offices all around the country.  People were more somber, friendly, empathic, and sympathetic to each other and the first responders were hailed heroes. 

We came together as a nation to fight those who attacked us so viciously and to help those in need. We respected each other.  We were united. I wonder now as we reflect on the eighth anniversary of theseattacks, where has all of unity and respect have gone.

Since 9/11 we have seen devastation with disasters such as hurricanes Katrina  and Rita.  Since 9/11 we have seen a financial crisis and since 9/11 we have seen a historic election. But also since 9/11 wehave seen a nation further divided politically to the point that disrespect is now the norm.  Instead of finding ways to work together, there seems to be those who want to further divide us.  We see volatile language,  violent threats against those who don’t always agree with another’s point of view.   I ask for what reason? 

The lessons of 9/11 are that people can be compassionate,considerate, helpful, serving, sympathetic and empathic towards those who are the same, different than you or I.  If nothing else, we should at least remember the cardinal rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  

We should not let the lessons of that day fade over the horizon with each passing year. Instead, we should be coming together as a nation just like we did on September 12, 2001 and  find ways to work together for the betterment of our nation and its people, so that those who lost their life that day did not do so in vain.

 “Life is very short and there is no time for fussing and fighting my friend. We can work it out.”~TheBeatles.

 

 

When Are We Going to Get It Together?

Shear embarrassment is the way I feel.  It's the way most of my colleagues and friends feel.  In fact there is a faction of people ...
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Recent Posts

  1. Antoine Dodson, an Overnight Brand
    Thursday, October 07, 2010
  2. Out of The Darkness Into the Light - Article Reprint from B-Metro Magazine
    Friday, October 01, 2010
  3. Finding Comfort: A Visit to Ground Zero
    Saturday, September 11, 2010
  4. Audacity of It All: BP and the Media
    Thursday, June 03, 2010
  5. New: Leading Women Blog at B-Metro Magazine
    Friday, April 09, 2010
  6. What is Birmingham to Do Now?
    Thursday, January 21, 2010
  7. Helping Haiti Out of Compassion and Love
    Friday, January 15, 2010
  8. Thanksgiving
    Thursday, November 26, 2009
  9. The Impact of September 11
    Friday, September 11, 2009
  10. When Are We Going to Get It Together?
    Friday, August 07, 2009

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