Welcome to my home. Or should I say welcome to my blog? Because, you see, I’m really hoping they’re going to be one and the same.
This blog is something that I’ve spent my lifetime preparing to write. And, as such, it will be less about some opinions I may have about the news of the day, than it will be about all the things that this life has managed to teach me over the years; things I will subsequently share with you every now and then, when the mood strikes.
It will be not unlike, I suppose, inviting you in for a cup of coffee every now and then so that we might sit at my kitchen table, sip hot coffee, nibble on some fresh baked goods or some fruit from my garden, and talk about things that matter most to us.
For those who may not know me, I am Sheila C. Johnson. But you can just call me Sheila. And while there are so many things I could say about myself, for simplicity sake, please consider me a recovering – but proud and unbowed – violin and cheerleading addict from Maywood, just west of Chicago.
Also, please understand too that as both an African American and a woman – one who came of age in the very heart of the white and male-dominated 1950’s and 60’s – my perspective is that of something of an outsider, one who’s spent her entire life working and fighting, often against the longest of odds, to gain even the smallest toehold on the American Dream.
In the 1970’s, I, along with my ex-husband, co-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET). And I helped that fledgling little cable network of ours take its first few wobbly steps on the road to becoming, arguably, the loudest and most reflective voice in the history of Black America.
I’ve since taken my soul, independent spirit, and always restless entrepreneurial heart and carved out an entirely new life for myself, both personally and professionally. As a result, I’m now the founder and head of Salamander Hotels and Resorts where I remain dedicated to bringing the gentle touch of luxury into the lives of countless men, women and children of all creeds, colors and income levels.
For purposes of this blog, please understand among the many things that I care about deeply – and the things about which I will most frequently write – are the importance of the arts and arts education, the empowerment of women, our collective fight to rise above our identity politics, tribalism and racist thinking, the joys of motherhood, if not life itself, and the remarkable and, perhaps, eternal power of a well-told story.
Please enjoy this very, very personal blog of mine. And please also subscribe to it and comment as frequently and as honestly as you feel compelled to do – whether, frankly, you agree with me or not.
Again, welcome to this little sliver of my heart. Now, pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup and, please…make yourself at home!
Sheila
Welcome To My Home 