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Mimi Brown, producer on Good Day LA has been one of the only Black producers since her arrival to Fox La in 2016. In her work, Brown highlights black stories in white space on a newly created platform. In an effort to shine light on Black America, she and the station worked to create Culture Conversations, a new show to examine just how Black culture has shaped our nation. We caught up with Mimi to discuss her show, her passion, and more.

Tell us about your overall experience as a producer for Good Day LA.

When I was student at Howard University I dreamt about moving to Hollywood and working for a major network and here I am living my dream! I get to tell stories that impact the masses every day, I get to work with celebrities, politicians, change-makers and influencers every single day. I’m realizing the plans that I laid out 10 years ago are now coming true. I will say this, it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of preparation, a lot of long nights and really early mornings. 

That old saying is true; being Black I’ve had to work twice as hard, sometimes doing double the work as my counterparts to achieve the same goal. I didn’t get here easy, but if there is some other Black girl that is coming up behind me and can see what I’ve accomplished, then I’ve done my job. 

Why are you so passionate about telling black stories

I tell human stories that just happen to be Black. At Fox I am not boxed into telling stories that are just about Black people, but it’s no secret that we are underrepresented so I’ve taken on the responsibility to tell OUR stories. 

Often times in the media we see unfavorable stories about Black people, but it is important to me, to showcase us as we see ourselves. 

We are doctors, lawyers, creators, and I think it’s important we all work to shift the narrative so people can see our accomplishments as well. 

There will always be a sector of people who will only see us one way, but it’s been my mission in the role and platform that I’ve been given to highlight us in the best light possible. 

What inspired ‘Culture Conversations’?

After the murder of George Floyd we had a team zoom call where we discussed what we could do better as a station in the wake of his death.

I had a very open and honest conversation about race with my co-workers for the first time ever. After that call I think we all knew there was more that we could do. As a station, people turn to us to highlight what is going on in the world, and we knew we needed to be on the right side of justice. 

Our News Director, Erica Hill-Rodriguez, is a risk taker and I applaud her for it. She stepped out after that meeting and called me and we came up with an incredible idea to open up a space where we could hold these types of conversations about injustices and racial inequality. 

Why is it so important for you to use your platform uplift to others of color a voice?

Anytime that I can produce something or say something that inspires or uplifts someone else then I certainly want to do it. 

I am a Black woman first and a journalist second, so with that being said, I take my experiences with me and I understand the importance of being in this space, I understand the responsibility of telling our stories properly. I bring my background and cultural experiences into telling our stories properly. Black voices matter, there is no singular black voice so bringing other voices into the conversation and giving them a platform only adds to the ultimate goal. I also  hope that others will continue to do it, and not just while there are protests happening or while its trending, but because Black people and  Black voices always matter. 

What can we expect from you in the future?

You can expect to see a lot more of me. I am only getting started. I plan to continue to tell stories that impact the world, I’m also excited to see how the protests force real change that we all can benefit from.

Featured Image courtesy of Lindsay Ruzicka (@lindsayruzi) and Courtney Lindberg Photography (@clindbergphoto)