Blackbird fly held it’s first event in March of 2010. This wasn’t the first of these types of events for founder Artina “QPDoll” Sharpton. Having held banquets for her track and field team Tsunami Track Club she was familiar with the excitement that young people could feel when they were dressed up and stepping out on the town.
However after attending a youth conference earlier that year where she was asked to host a workshop for young ladies, her heart was moved by the fact that so many young ladies were literally hungry for more engagement. They didn’t want to leave her workshop, so she made a pledge to the young women in her conference, a pledge that she would find some way to engage them beyond that workshop.
And thus was born “Blackbird Fly”
BBF Year 1
Year one was a whirlwind of Dresses, Give-a-ways and Girls. Our house was busy with the traffic of young ladies trying on dresses and being introduced to the idea of Blackbird Fly. At the time Artina reached out to the girls from her previous workshop and had them be the first participants. Reaching out to Kim “NYOIL” Sharpton to help her organize and help fund raise for the event he suggested a strong viral campaign to create awareness and interest.
NYOIL did a video interview with on of the young ladies as a drop for the upcoming event. Her name was Dreasia and she told a story so impactful that it was literally a game changer.
This lit a fire under everyone witnessing this event coming together. And helped to pull people like Lynx Garcia on board.
Over the course of 2 months we were able to raise upwards of $3,000.00 to put on the event. We were able to hold the Workshops (now called the BB FEST) at Cromwell Center in Staten Island NY.
We scrambled to get the ladies together for the first BBF Gala Ball which would be held at Edgewater Hall in Staten Island. This was an exercise in fortitude, managing upwards of 30 young men and women, transporting them in 2 cars from our apartment to the hall. Watching “TeeTee B. Like” scramble to finish up a bunch of hair styles, watching NYOIL help the young men get dressed up for the occasion was both heart warming and stressful at the same time. But we did it. And the night went off superbly.