Today we’d like to introduce you to Judayah Murray.
Hi Judayah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I usually tell people that my journey with content creation began at Howard University when I started my YouTube channel, #BlackGirlsYouTubeToo. But honestly, it started way before that. I was obsessed with The Sims as a kid and would take screenshots of my gameplay, use graphic editing software to customize the images, write stories to match the pictures and upload them under a pseudonym.
That opened me to MySpace and using simple coding to create custom pages for my friends, then to Tumblr where I kept a blog under a pseudonym. In a way, I’ve created content my entire life. I just now do it professionally, for money, under my own name!
My YouTube Channel in undergraduate school was originally all about makeup tutorials. I chose the name because at the time it was very hard to find looks and routines that would work for my skin tone. The default channels that would pop up with searches all featured white creators. I would have to specify “for Black girls” or “for dark skin” to find anyone who looked even remotely like me, and I thought, “Well, that’s not fair. Black girls YouTube too.”
I didn’t have many subscribers at first, just a few family members. Honestly, I was just recording, editing, and uploading videos because I genuinely enjoyed the process. But one day, I recorded something different. Toward the end of my freshman year, I made a video about what I wish people had told me about Howard University before I decided to go, and it instantly blew up. Without knowing it, I tapped into a market that had gone cold nearly seven years prior.
There were no content creators at my school telling incoming freshmen what they could expect. The older videos were outdated. New buildings had been built. There were new requirements to get in. The fashion had changed. Suddenly, I was the go-to girl for all things Howard and HBCU. I started getting sponsorships, side gigs, collaborating with other creators, and being invited to events. I felt like I was finally figuring out who I was and what I was worth.
At the same time, I changed my major from Public Relations to Journalism at the advice of the Howard University Annenberg Honors Program director Dr. Audrey M. Byrd. I was a member, and she was a mentor that was more like a second mother. She saw how I was growing authentically on YouTube and thought I might have more interest in trying broadcast journalism. I picked a minor in graphic design and the rest was history. I quickly grew to over 14,000 subscribers and well over 1 million channel-wide views.
I was named the Howard University National Press Photographers Association Videojournalist of the Year and won first place at the 2017 Paul Robeson Awards for Outstanding Audio Production. Another mentor of mine, Professor Jennifer Thomas, encouraged me to continue my education at Columbia University so I applied and was accepted into the Master of Science in Journalism program for the 2018-2019 school year.
At Columbia, many of my professors did not see the value in YouTube, despite digital’s growing impact on the world of news. I was encouraged to stop uploading videos and start taking my future in journalism more seriously. The day after graduation, I started my career at News 12 Networks as a freelance Digital Host and Producer in New York City, the number one market for my industry.
My time at News 12 was unreal. I was young, willing to try anything within reason and I had so many ideas. I was absolutely blessed to work for Manoj Shamdasani and Steven O’Keefe, two innovative supervisors who were willing to listen, try things out, and push me to be even better.
Eventually, I applied for a full-time job with News 12 as a Content Producer for their brand-new streaming platform, News 12+. I was accepted and joined a team that helped launch the platform with my very own show called “On A Positive Note.” It started out as a weekly, 30-minute program that covered all of the good things happening around the New York tristate. It grew, especially during the pandemic when people really needed to see the silver lining.
Soon, it was sponsored, I was interviewing and telling the stories of incredible guests from every walk of life. If I was just learning my purpose in life before, I was absolutely stepping into it now. Working at News 12 on a start-up gave me the opportunity to be my most authentic, creative self to throw things at the wall and see what stuck.
I became much better at animating, storytelling, writing, and producing and my on-air skills were getting better with every year that passed. My job title changed again to Senior Multimedia Journalist — a true one-man band.
Eventually, I had to make the hard decision to leave that job and move to Atlanta, Georgia to be closer to family for personal reasons. I started a new position at FOX 5 Atlanta as a Digital Content Creator. I’m responsible for writing articles and maintaining our website, keeping up with our social media accounts, and, every now and again, designing custom graphics.
Here, I’ve learned so much about search engine optimization (SEO) and using analytics to develop new strategies to keep our audience engaged. Since being here, I made the shortlist in the 2023 cohort of the Warner Bros. Discovery Rooster Teeth Digital Creators Program. I was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Craft Achievement as the host of On A Positive Note.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road to being a content creator. In my opinion, this is a line of work where your self-confidence and self-awareness must be high and your skin must be thick. There are going to be people who don’t see your vision or your worth, and you have to be strong enough not to let that throw you off your track.
The struggles that I have faced have all been personal. Journalism is certainly not the most lucrative job, but my passion for creativity and telling stories keeps me here. I have also struggled at times to find the right work-life balance. Content creation is somewhat quantitative, but most of the work is qualitative, meaning the hours aren’t always black-and-white, especially if you’re a perfectionist like myself and like to see your projects through.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a Digital Content Creator who is most proud of her work as a TV Host. First, I was known as “#BlackGirlsYouTubeToo” for my YouTube channel catered to teaching younger students and incoming freshmen about Howard University, HBCUs, and how to prepare yourself for college. Then, I became known for my bubbly personality as the host of News 12’s “On A Positive Note.”
At News 12, I was especially proud of my segment called “In A Positive Light,” where I allowed local artists air-time to show off their skills. Also, I used to end my episodes by finding someone local doing something positive in their community and would shout out on their social media pages.
To this day, those are the two segments that people still contact me about to thank me for the opportunity to share their talent and their mission. To me, it was an honor to get to see that there are so many people around us every day pouring positivity into the world. All we have to do is find them.
I think the thing that sets me apart from others is my wide variety of skills. I pride myself on knowing how to do it all and being open to learning more. I think it has been what makes employers want to keep me around, and what makes them so comfortable trusting me with tougher projects.
I also think my “bounce back” attitude sets me apart. No matter what happens to me in life, I never believe that I’m truly down and out. I always believe there’s a comeback story in the making. I attribute that disposition to my faith in God.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the amount of festivals here in Atlanta. There is always somewhere to go, something to do, and somebody to meet. It’s amazing to me. I also, of course, love the weather and the wings! I’m not a lemon-pepper girl just yet, but give me some time. I rarely get stuck in traffic because I work pretty odd hours. Some people say I’m just lucky.
Apartments and homes are much bigger here than they are in New York City! I think the one thing I like least about Atlanta is that I sometimes can’t tell how people really feel. In New York, you would always know if someone didn’t like you because they had no problem telling you. I find the vibe to be different here in Georgia. Some people will smile at you, and then you’ll overhear them talking badly about you. It’s very odd.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.judayahmurray.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/judayahmurray
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/judayahmurray
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/83nudtzeCu4?si=1Xw8DF0cprY3XqBi and www.youtube.com/blackgirlsyoutubetoo
- Other: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGFZ1ZBqW0/_yS2QJyiMIUy_WxJQXhP1g/view?utm_content=DAGFZ1ZBqW0&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor
