As we all know, February is Black History Month. It’s a month where we honor those who have made an impact on American culture for equal rights, those who have invented, those who have a helped others and those who have inspired everyone to be the best they can be, not only as a person of color but as a human.
As someone in the technology/web/social space, I often travel and attend various events in the industry and notice a huge lack of diversity, and when it comes to getting attention from mainstream media/tech blogs it’s almost impossible. That’s why I’m starting 28 Days of Diversity on SocialWayne.com. The goal of 28 Days of Diversity is to feature someone new everyday for the month of February for just being awesome in their own right. The list will include some of leaders in the social web space, startups, bloggers, conference organizers, IT professionals and friends not ranked in any particular order. Each post will include a picture, bio, two links from the selected person and this paragraph. So for the next 28 days, come back to visit SocialWayne.com to see who’s on the list. For day four, I would like to introduce to some and present to others: Amani Channel
Blog: www.myurbanreport.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/urbanreporter
Amani Channel is an award-winning video producer, and specializes in traditional, and new media.
He is the content manager at Public Broadcasting Atlanta for the www.lensonatlanta.org social community. He is also the founder of a media consulting, video production company called Visual Eye Media. The company offers high definition video production services, media training, and social media solutions for companies, organizations, and individuals.
His content, commentaries, and reports have been featured on on NPR, APTN (Associated Press Television News), CNN, Headline News, BET, Black Family Channel, HDNews, local news stations and across the Web.
Channel also writes and vlogs at www.MyUrbanReport.com. HIs site focuses on new media production, tutorials, and urban issues. He’s produced hundreds of video podcasts, and mobile videos that are distributed across the Web. He shoots, edits, and is the talent for the videos. In addition, he is the host of on online TV show called www.mediaconnection.tv.
In 2009, Channel was honored by the Telly Awards and Marcom Awards for media projects he wrote, produced, and directed for Oglethorpe University and Metro Atlanta YouthBuild.
Channel also speaks at conferences, workshops, and universities across the country about traditional and new media. He’s taught video production at Hillsborough Community College, and the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Tampa, FL, and Kennesaw State University.
He is currently working towards completing a Masters in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida.
His thesis is titled: “Gatekeeping and Citizen Journalism: A Qualitative Examination of Participatory Media.”
Website: www.visualeyemedia.com
