Sometimes people know from an early age what they want to do with their life. For Dr. Pamela Blackman, that question has always had a simple answer: help people.
As President and CEO of the non-profit organization Building Brighter Futures Center For The Arts (Formerly Better Boys Foundation), Blackman oversees efforts to assist underserved communities in several areas, including Education, Employment, and Health Equity.
Blackman also runs her own company, Joy Entertainment & Event Management, that supports its growing list of clients in several ways, including branding/licensing, marketing, and tour management,
The Chicago native is a proud mother and grandmother who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in childhood education, human behavior, social work, and psychology. She’s owned several daycare centers, been a certified nurses aide, and state licensed real estate broker.
N’DIGO recently sat down with Blackman to learn more about their upbringing, her drive to achieve, and her various projects in the works.
N’DIGO: In your own words, who is Dr. Pamela Blackman?
Dr. Pamela Blackman: I am a giver. I’m someone who always has and always will be supportive of the underdog. I always wanted to make sure people were okay. I always want people to be better than they were before. I think I embody humanitarianism. Thinking about how much I love my friends and family, I am also dedicated to the people who mean a lot to me. My proudest accomplishment is being a mother to my children and grandmother to their children.
As a child, what did you imagine you’d do professionally?
Throughout my childhood, I said I would be a nurse. I would take care of my grandmother and great-aunts. I would be their nurse when they were not feeling good. It was all about nursing until my junior year of college when I had to take my clinical. I worked in a nursing home and would leave every day crying because the staff mistreated their residents. As someone who is very compassionate, I couldn’t take it. After that, I switched majors. I also learned I wouldn’t say I liked the sight of needles or blood, so that I wouldn’t have been the best nurse.
You’ve earned numerous degrees and certifications in various fields, from childhood education to psychology, nurse’s aid, real estate agent, and more. Fair to say you’re a Go-Getter and aren’t intimidated by taking on new ventures?
I can admit I am an overachiever. From an early age, I knew I wanted to be successful. It was something inside me that knew if I wanted to be successful, I would have to work hard for it. All the people I saw growing up who were doing well showed they worked for it. It was also crucial for me to do my best and choose to do the right things. I wanted to make myself proud, so I studied hard. I was on the pom-pom team, modeling club, a counselor’s assistant, and ran track in high school. We must be determined to be all we can be because we can. You can hold yourself accountable.
Please tell us about your company, Joy Entertainment & Event Management, and how you got started.
The company pretty much started from one of my son’s friends, who was an aspiring actress. She asked me to manage her. At the time, I was not in the entertainment business; I owned daycare centers. I was in a double master’s program at Valparaiso University and U of I. At that point, I had a year left before I would be finished. I told them if they still wanted me, I would do it after I graduated from the program. In the meantime, I took some entertainment management classes. At the time, my first client lived in LA. The day I graduated from the program, she flew into town and asked me to manage her. That was May 1998; this year marks 25 years I have had Joy Management.
Our current clients are Malik Yusef (Award-winning producer, songwriter, poet), Dr. Aleta Clark, a.k.a. Englewood Barbie (Activist), Earlie Walker, Mieka Joi (Rich Girl Candy, Influencer), Derrick “PJ” Rose (Actor & Model), My Cousin Tiera (Comedian), Tamera Fair, (Actress & Media Personality), Everybody Eats (Fashion Brand), Andre Guichard (Visual Artist), and Calvin Coleman (Visual Artist). We work with R&B legends, The Whispers. We got them a three-deal project with a fourth option after they had not had a deal in decades.
We primarily represent Influencers, comedians, actors, and game changers. We’ve also recently added Name Image Likeness Management NIL for college athletes.
In addition to Joy Entertainment, you recently signed on as the CEO of the nonprofit organization Building Brighter Futures Center For The Arts. Please share more about the organization and the work you do.
Building Brighter Futures Center For The Arts is a comprehensive human services organization that offers six program and service areas: Community Engagement, Education, Employment Services, Family Services, Health Equity, and Youth Services. The mission of BBF is to improve the quality of life for underprivileged youth and their families by providing safe, stable, and nurturing experiences that enhance social, emotional, academic, and career development.
I have been involved with the organization for a long time, being on the Board of Directors from 2007 to 2010 and Director of Project L.E.A.D. from 2010 to 2012. When they asked me to step off the board and come work for the organization, the timing felt right as I had just sold my daycares and was focusing on Joy Entertainment & Event Management. After a couple of years, I had to leave for a family commitment, but we stayed in touch over the years. In 2020, they asked me to come back to serve as President and CEO, and we hit the ground running.
Since coming back my staff and I have reestablished the dance program, brought in a music program, added STEM classes, enhanced the fashion work program, mentoring programs, and formed partnerships with other organizations like Champs, Polished Pebbles, and Ladies of Virtue. We have also increased resources to help our youth with their studies and to prepare for college. There’s also now a scholarship program. This year we’ll be in the Bud Billiken Parade for the second year in a row, giving some of our younger kids the first-time opportunity to be at the parade. We’ve also brought in an exhibit from artist Kerry James Marshall, who is the highest paid African American artist alive. His work has been at the offices for over a year now and it’s open to the public. Visitors can visit our website and sign up for one of our guided tours to experience his work.
And then you have your nonprofits, Random Acts of Kindness and Blackman-Reese-Rose Foundation. Can you tell us a little about both?
Random Acts of Kindness is something I have had for many years. The bulk of my charitable giving comes from this nonprofit. Inonprofitt people, and you ddon’thave to always talk about what you do to support others. I love being charitable to help those who are in need. Blackman-Reese-Rose is set up to give college scholarships to deserving students needing help with their educational goals.
What do you do in terms of self-care to preserve your mental health?
I have learned it’s very important for me to take time out for myself. There was a time when I did not. I was burning myself out working for clients because their success was so important to me. Now, I take a vacation every year. Oftentimes two or three. I have a set schedule I follow that includes taking days off and days to work remotely. I make it a priority to spend quality time with family and friends. God is the head that leads my life. I start my day off with prayer. I try my best to start each day with God. That’s the real self-care. I do my best to take care of my health by exercising and eating healthier. Getting my hair done, going to the spa, getting massages, manicures, and pedicures is a part of my self-care as well. I also have the best sister-friend circle in the world. It’s a group to be admired. I would not trade one of them. It’s a core group of us that have been friends for 40+ years. We have been there for each other in weddings, divorces, and funerals, and we are each other’s children’s godparents.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
People would be surprised to know how much I love the Hallmark Channel. I love it and can’t get enough, so much so that my grandson teases me for watching so much. They have all these wholesome, positive, happy stories that all end in joy. Right now, it’s Christmas in June and July. I love Christmas, and I watch all of their soft sappy shows.
Can you name a book that changed or impacted your life?
The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn was a book that I read often. That book changed the way I viewed life. It talks about manifestation with scriptures to help you understand.
Best advice to young people?
Stay the course, and do NOT let anyone tell you that you can’t do it or achieve it. No is not an option. No matter what the circumstance looks like, if it’s something you want and are passionate about, go for it. Fall down and get back up.
Favorite quote or affirmation?
Every day, I say the Prayer of Jabez: “And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain. ‘So God granted him what he requested.”
What’s next for Pamela Blackman and Joy Entertainment (Future Project? Dream? Goals?)
We will continue to grow the careers of our amazing roster to the sky and beyond. I will receive the highest honor for service you can get underneath a Nobel Peace Award – Lifetime Presidential Achievement Award on July 15th in Ft Lauderdale. I’ve recently enrolled in a doctoral program for the human services area of study in leadership and organizational management at Capella University that starts in August. I’m still that hard-working little girl who wants to make a real impact on the world and inspire others to be their best versions.
For more information on Dr. Pamela Blackman and Joy Entertainment and Event Management, please visit www.joymanagementinc.com. And to learn more about Building Brighter Futures Center For The Arts, please visit www.bbfcenterforthearts.org
