A Message from Karyn

I hope everyone had an amazing Mother's Day weekend! 

As Memorial Day marks the start of summer, we would like to take the time to remember those we lost and the many stories we've yet to hear.  We must remember the Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen, and countless others who dedicated their lives to protecting our country.  In addition, I would like to say "thank you" on behalf of Sweet Blackberry for your continued support as we continue to make strides towards making sure stories such as these are accessible to anyone. 

This month, we will begin fundraising for our fourth animated film sharing the story of Bessie Coleman, the first African American female pilot. We are currently looking for ways to raise money from crowd-funding to applying for grants. If you know of any organization we should reach out to, be sure to let us know. 
 

All the best,
Karyn
The History of 
African Americans 
in the U.S. Military 

For years, African Americans have played an integral role in the United States Military. From the Tuskegee Airmen to the African-American women serving in the WAC there is a lot of unknown and unspoken history to be shared with younger and future generations. 

As May marks the celebration of Memorial Day, we salute you and commemorate the time daring men and women gave to serve our country.


Want to learn more about the role African Americans accepted while serving our country?  

Here is a fun activity you can share with any child to celebrate the month of May! 
Sweet Blackberry In The News

Last month, Karyn had the pleasure of speaking with UK based Skool Girl about Sweet Blackberry's initiatives and her time on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. 

BuzzFeed also featured all three Sweet Blackberry films in a post highlighting family films about little known black history stories currently available on Netflix. 


Upcoming Project: The Bessie Coleman Story

We're excited to announce that we are in the beginning stages of fundraising for our latest project telling the story of the first African American female pilot, Bessie Coleman. This animated short will surround Coleman's journey and determination to defy odds by moving to France from Atlanta, Texas to learn to fly. 

This Bessie Coleman project will join our collection of short films teaching children little known black history stories such as the stories of Henry "Box" Brown, Janet Collins and Garrett Morgan. Each of these films is currently available on Netflix. 


To pledge support Sweet Blackberry and donate to the Bessie Coleman Story, click here.
Remembering Prince
In April,  we lost one of the most influential and beloved cultural icons to date. Prince was much more than just music, he used his voice to express what the world was feeling and what the world needed to hear.
Throughout his 35-year career, Prince released 39 albums selling over 100 million records worldwide. Known for his eclectic style, wide vocal range and captivating stage performance, Prince's stylistic mix of funk, rock, R&B, soul, psychedelia, and pop earned seven Gr ammys, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score in Purple Rain. Most of his work was recorded entirely on his own often writing "produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince."
Sweet Blackberry would like to take this time to pay tribute and thank Prince for not only the gifts he's presented to the world but the path he's paved for many African-Americans to witness and believe that regardless of what people say, with hard work they too can accomplish their dreams and influence the world.
Now Streaming on Netflix!
Sweet Blackberry presents Garrett's Gift available now on Netflix!

Follow the story of Garrett Morgan, the inventor of the traffic light. This short film was also narrated by Queen Latifah.

 
Thank You Friends Academy!  
Friends Academy of North Dartmouth, Massachusetts held a bake sale and raised a total of $500 for Sweet Blackberry. Thank you so much for all your hard work!  
A New Face To A Major Bill

On Wednesday, April 20th US Secretary Jack Lew announced that Harriet Tubman will be the face of the twenty dollar bill replacing former president and slave owner Andrew Jacks on. This move comes after m ore than half a million people voted for Tubman to replace Jackson who will now move to the back of the bill. 

Congratulations are in order to the legacy Harriet Tubman left behind after leading so many lives including the generations that follow to freedom. 

Read more about this exciting new change by clicking  here. 
#SweetBlackHistory
I received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal.
I grew up in a family of sharecroppers.
I am the first African American to become a U.S. Navy Master Diver. 
Who am I? 
Tweet your answer to  @SwtBlackberry for a shout out in next month's newsletter! 


The answer to last month's trivia question was Lucy Diggs Slowe! Congrats @CoCoLaShay for answering last month's trivia correctly. 
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