PITCH BLACK

By Shanille V.

By Kaye-Ann Sadler

Isat down with world-renowned marketing and communications professional, Tanisha Leonard, who serves as a key member of the executive team for the Detroit-based company Pitch Black, a subsidiary of Real Times Media. A few of Real Times Media’s flagship brands are the Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, the Atlanta Daily World, Who’s Who in Black, the Chicago Defender, the Michigan Chronicle, the New Pittsburgh Courier, and Studio 1452.

Tanisha has a wide array of experience in managing marketing, strategic planning, and creative development processes and teams, as well as extensive experience in event production, corporate communications, and media relations.

Pitch Black was initially launched as an organization in 2018, but so much has transpired in our community and there became a need to shift. Since the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020, organizations have aligned themselves to the social justice movement, issuing statements of support among other things, but a lot of it has been merely transactional with no significant impact. Pitch Black is positioning itself to step in and help craft these communications and endeavors into actional items. Uncomfortable at times, yes, but extremely important and necessary.

Pitch Black’s mission pivoted to an approach focused on science, art, and the previously mentioned “crafting” while upholding the notion that they are promoting all things “Black, Black, and Blackity Black.” Essentially, it’s rooted in us telling OUR stories. Pitch Black operates on six guiding principles, which remain foundational to each and everything that they do. One of them is to “Talk to Her.” As simple as it sounds, it’s a concept that goes over far too many people’s heads, overlooking the impact that Black women have in the workplace and the economy as a whole. Figuring out exactly what it is that we want—not by guessing but by conducting actual market research—is a complete game changer.

The Pitch Black relaunch is slated for Sept. 13, 2022. The significance of that date is that it is the first documented slave rebellion in this country. Despite the rebranding and relaunch, the corporate mission of parent company Real Times Media has always been Black centric, even before it was the cool thing to do.

Pitch Black’s mission to amplify Black voices is consistent to that of NWW, although they are approaching it from two different perspectives. There is no single road to breaking down the barriers of racial inequity. If we continue to find allyship in those with like goals, we can eventually chip away at the mountain built up against us over the course of the past 400+ years.