Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Dennis.
Patrick, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Moving from Brooklyn, NYC to Atlanta to attend Morehouse College was a shift in my life. I didn’t feel grounded and I needed to adjust. I wanted to make an impact in my new environment. So, I made a YouTube video during Spelhouse Homecoming my freshman year and enjoyed being a host/interviewer. I took that opportunity to build a YouTube channel where the central focus is bringing a raw perspective of the HBCU lifestyle to viewers. My ultimate goal is to connect HBCU students from all schools to provide insight on their lives and unique experiences to bring attention to the positives and negatives of attending an HBCU unfiltered. The insight and platform will gain attention not only from students but Presidents of the schools which I will utilize to impact improvement of the HBCU’s tailored to the students and culture of HBCU’s. One of the main issues myself and other HBCU students have is the gentrification of the schools and how the environment surrounding the schools affects what goes on inside. HBCU’s should be a place of refuge for black scholars to grow together and hone their skills in order to impact this world. The purpose of my Channel is to get that movement started.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No. The road should never be smooth because there is always a new door of opportunity to step through and with each new door there will be adversities awaiting. Building my platform to become a host for the HBCU lifestyle has been difficult because of the limited amount of communication I have during the COVID-19 era. I currently hold my interviews through zoom and have to remain persistent to have people take time out of their lives during rough times to sit down and get prepared for an interview.
ParmejawnTv – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a Host/interviewer on YouTube my main goal is to create a platform that gives my viewers the HBCU’s lifestyle raw and uncut. HBCU’s recently have been getting more attention through sports however there are much more fascinating aspects on these campuses that few tend to look deep into. I want to be the voice for HBCU’s to create impact and redefine the purpose of HBCU’s. To focus on creating a safe haven for black scholars and to prevent commercialization and gentrification of HBCU’s. The history and culture of HBCU’s are so rich, myself and so many other students want to keep it that way.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Personally, success is when I enjoy the work I do while positively effecting the world around me. Once I create a platform where all HBCU’s are connected through my channel and have a voice to express their unique experiences at their schools. To grasp the attention of Presidents at HBCU’s and use my videos to show them the concerns of students on a national level to stress the severity of some of the issues that must be handled to maintain the culture and purpose of HBCU’s.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTJPEefYtSuFUx-O-VzS6vg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parmejawncheese/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Parmejawncheese
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