Pictures W/ Annette Gibbs

 

Mrs. Annette Gibbs (provided by www.facebook.com)

As pizza was served, Gibbs talked with us about new Disney projects. 

 One new project Gibbs talked to us about is the new Disney cruise ship going to be called Disney Fantasy. Photo provided by (www.disneydreaming.com)

 Gibbs continued to talk with us about other projects such and showed us sketches of upcoming Disney family resorts. 

This is a sketch of one of the new family resorts. Photo provided by (www.wdwnewstoday.com)

One of Gibbs most prized programs is the "Dreamers Academy" program that she and her team put assists in. Photo provided by www.zimbio.com

Meeting with Annette Gibbs

Annette Gibbs visited NC A&T State University this Wednesday afternoon to share some knowledge with students on her career. Gibbs, a Greensboro native, is a public relations manager for Disney.

Students were eager to hear Gibbs on how the public relations industry works, as well as the years of experience she has. Gibbs first explained how she got to the position she is in now. Gibbs attended the University of Maryland in College Park. She worked her first internship the summer before becoming a sophomore. Gibbs didn't advise internships that early, but said it did teach her many lessons. For a part-time summer job she worked for one of the top radio stations in Washington D.C.

From there Gibbs gained experience by working at places such as the news department at BET, and the PBS station in Maryland. Gibbs then settled into a job as news anchor and reporter for a while. Gibbs remembered being tired of the reporting the same stories. She felt she needed to transition from television into a different field.

Gibbs decided to attend an NABJ, National Association of Black Journalists, conference to meet with some big agents for a new job. On the way to meet the agents, Gibbs stopped to by a Disney exhibit where she met a young lady and started conversation. The woman suggested she talk with a Disney representative for a job after an engaging talk with Gibbs. Gibbs talked with her but didn't pay much attention to it, so she later met with the agents.

Months later, Gibbs was called back for an opportunity to apply for the position at Disney. Two telephone interviews, and nine interviews in-person interviews later, Gibbs was now working as a PR Manager at Disney.

Gibbs career has taken her to places such as Disneyland Paris and Hong-Kong Disneyland. She worked with Disney Pictures on the first African-American Disney princess movie, “Princess and the Frog”. Gibbs manages relations with many broadcasts companies and works on new projects with her team.

One very prized program to her is the Dreamers Academy of Disney. This program started from the multi-cultural marketing brand team of Disney to bring hopes and dreams to minority students. It is of Gibbs own personal interest to tap into the African-American market.

Gibbs says her career has been a “thoroughly enjoyed transition,” as she went from working for herself to working with a team. Gibbs urges students to network as much as possible and take opportunities that will build up a resume. Gibbs said we are our “best or worst salesperson,” so one has to communicate concisely. Students and faculty enjoyed the words of encouragement and knowledge from Annette Gibbs.  

Mo Asumang

Fine Line between Ethnicities in Greensboro, NC

With Greensboro City Council elections starting tomorrow, the issue of demographic ethnic
racial division in Greensboro N.C. has resurfaced.

At the heart of the issue of demographic racial division is the controversy of the White Street
Landfill. Since this seems to be a major issue that will sway voters one way or the other, candidates
have made strong opinions.

The controversy is heavily focused on the fact that the landfill will be dumped right in the
middle of a minority-heavy neighborhood. Consequently, it will cause health issues and it simply
demoralizes the neighborhood and strengthens the racial tensions that exist in Greensboro already.

There is a fine line between the East and West side of Greensboro divided by ethnic races,
mainly black and white. The ethnic racial division in Greensboro has been an issue for a number of
years.

City council candidates need to speak on how they plan to deal with this problem. For the most
part, candidates have not been able to provide citizens with an actual plan on how to diminish
demographic racial division. Most candidates acknowledge there is a problem and that it needs to be
fixed without actual plans.

Citizens of Greensboro have grown tired of the problem, especially minority residents. Citizens
aren't the only ones aware, college students of Greensboro can also see the problem.
Destiny Ferguson, a student at A&T, recalls that when she ventured outside of the A&T area she
saw a “totally different side of Greensboro, a majority white side.” It is obvious that something needs
to be done about it.

C.J. Crews, member of the NAACP A&T chapter, is concerned with how city council
candidates are planning to deal with the issue. He recently tweeted, “I've been reading over these
candidates running for Greensboro City Council, and when asked whether the city is racially divided or
not some state reasons why or why not, some wants you to make your own implication, and some
seemed to just repeat their vision statement.”

Citizens want candidates to provide a direct solution to the problem if at all possible. There may
not be answers given that will satisfy citizens, but it seems the closest candidates will get to tackling
the real problem which is: the demographic divide among races in Greensboro

Courtland Milloy: Man of the Hour

A man of great talent and experience came by to drop knowledge on a class of News Writing
students at NC A&T State University last Wednesday.

Courtland Milloy, columnist for the Washington Post, along with many other accomplishments stopped by to explain to my class how important it is for this generation of African-American journalists to stand up and stand out from the crowd of journalists. Milloy explained how the number of black journalists are slowly diminishing along with the ability for the younger generation of writers to speak out when among other writers. Mr. Milloy encourages this generation of writers to challenge mainstream journalism with confidence! With Mr. Milloy's long list of credentials, students were all ears while he shared his advice.

Before Milloy began to speak, a young woman told us a story introducing him. She explained
his sense of humor and great knowledge but before she left she shared a question she posed to Milloy, “Are you a race man?” She then told us that he simply replied, “Yes.” Of course this stirred up a few questions from multiple students about what exactly a race man is.

Wickham, a columnist for USA Today, explained to the class that Milloy is a race man which he defined as a man with “a fire in your belly that keeps you pissed off”. It is apparent in Milloy's many published articles that he is a race man, being that most of his articles directly deal with issues that affect the lives of African-Americans. He defines a race man as one who “speaks out against put downs”. He also explained that a race man is one for his race and that not everyone can be one. Thus, the race man, or woman is a rare individual among the African-American race.

Courtland Milloy is a man of many accomplishments, and as young black writers, students like
us strive to reach his status in the world of journalism. His advice to us was very clear, to take on the
journalism world with something to say and to be able to say it without hesitation or fear. Milloy
reminded us that in the world of journalism there is no room for a “fear of people”.

Milloy expresses that he sees a generation of journalists who are afraid to speak up and learn or admit that they don't know something, especially African-American journalists. It must be frustrating to witness a generation of black journalists who are too quiet to be heard in the world of news. Two characteristics that Milloy heavily advised us to possess were “Self-control and persistence, but most importantly, self-control.”
Courtland Milloy is a man that many young journalists aspire to be, and it was an exceptional
experience to hear the stories and advice that he shared with the classroom.

I'm Kenecia.

Sophomore studying journalism at North Carolina A&T State University. Originally from North Carolina and hoping to start a career in print journalism or electronic media. :)