Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Stewart.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My name is Jamie. You can call me Jay or Paws. Modeling and music have been part of me for awhile now but I didn’t have the right tools or enough courage to pursue. I have always been told I should be a model since I was a kid. I never really took the compliments because I simply didn’t believe them. Throughout my years growing up, I’ve been part of beauty pageants and received many compliments until 6th grade.
That’s when my confidence was at its lowest. I went to music to hide all my emotions. I love music. My entire life was singing all kinds of songs, I even did a little girl group to pretend like we were cheetah girls in elementary school with a few girls in the apartment complex. I was not it. But I tried to advance myself in music when I was in junior high but was shot down. I tried to focus on modeling since I was given so many compliments and I won a pageant before. I was given an opportunity to be part of a modeling agency in high school but I was unable to continue. It was a shot in my heart. I couldn’t do something I loved those close to me didn’t seem to care it hurt. After the failed attempts, I decided I would only practice alone but not having access to the tools I needed made me give up. Until I was in my twenties and was around my husband [ C e a u x ]. [ C e a u x ] doing music and having me be apart of his dreams opened up my love for music and trying to become a model again. His encouragement to continue after my dreams is what lead me to become more confident. I even became more vocal about my beliefs and the rights of Black Lives. I’ve always believed Blacks are treated poorly but didn’t know how to share that with the world until maybe one day [ C e a u x ] and I could use our platform to spread awareness and fight for Black Lives.
These past four in a half years has given me the opportunity to change where I want to go in life. Although it has not been easy and timing is not on my side, I have still found a way to keep chasing my dreams. While working two to three jobs at a time, being a mother, and wife I am juggling everything at once. I am willing to do all of these things at once so I can achieve my goals. I want to grow. With that I have chosen to help manage [ C e a u x ] with his music which allows me to be part of [ P r I d e ]ful. I am starting my modeling career as well. I am working on a project that will soon be out. [ C e a u x ] created [ P r I d e ]ful as a place for people who are different that can come together and be a family. A space where you can let out your creativity. A place to be comfortable. A place to voice your opinions and your beliefs. We have now begun to work together to help advance our own dreams and grow [ P r I d e ]ful. With our platform growing, we will also be using that to bring more awareness to local areas around the world about Black Lives and how we can fight for the system to change.
It’s never too late to follow your dreams remember that.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing has been a smooth ride for me. I started having difficulties with following my dreams in junior high by adding choir to my electives. I decided I would try something different although lying saying it was the only elective left to everyone. I then got encouraged by my teacher to try out for an audition which got me excited thinking maybe I could actually sing, it wasn’t just a shower thing. The only thing was having to get the instrumental from a music store. That’s when I had to ask my dad. I already felt as though he wouldn’t want me to do more than just take the class. When we couldn’t find the store within the first few minutes using the print out of map quest it was all over. I got the vibe my dad didn’t even want me to be in that class and I let that discourage me. I began to focus on sports instead. By doing that, I started being around more people. Trying to have friends. A lot of people started telling me I should be a model. People would tell me how pretty or gorgeous I was. I had won a pageant in 5th grade but when I lost the next round of pageants, I figured it was because of how I looked.
I was a darker skin tone than the other girls there it seemed like. I know I’m light skinned but compared to the other girls I wasn’t light as them. Everyone was so nice to each other but no one talked to me. I didn’t fit in. But when I kept getting these compliments as I got older I began watching America’s Next Top Model to see how I could possibly fit in. I was into it since there was so many different types of beautiful women on the show but my confidence in my own looks and fashion was not up to par. My dad was a single parent doing the best he could for us, but getting the things I needed outside of sports was not that possible. This caused me to start thinking maybe it wasn’t meant for me since I wasn’t able to get the things I needed to advance. Family wasn’t as supportive unless it was my uncle who wanted me to take care of the family. Of course, I will with no doubt but don’t ask of it. Weight questions started coming from family members. Comments about my calves weighed me down. Literally. Physically and mentally, I felt ugly and not the right size. Support was not given by the ones I needed it from the most. My insecurities got the best of me and that’s one of my biggest struggles. I’m never as confident as others believe I should be. Which has caused me not to go forward with my dreams and chose careers or education paths that are great but not what I’ve dreamed of doing.
While along those days, I experienced a lot of racism and discrimination among many age groups of people, even some classmates. I never felt like I fit in with anyone. I wasn’t always with the “right” group. I was one with a temper when it came to someone being rude, disrespectful, or talking bad about my race. I was told by many people it was because I was half black. From then on, no one knew me as Jamie the biracial girl. I was Jamie the black girl. It was a shock to my system that because I was angry it was because of being half black. I began to see what racism really was. I experienced police brutality at 13 years old. This was the start of being anti-police because I was tackled and chased around as if I was an adult by 13 police officers. I was then handcuffed and overheard the cops say, “it took 13 of us to get that black girl down.” While my white mother was standing right there. To the police, I was just a black angry person not a kid and I needed to be handled. People would say not all cops are bad, but wouldn’t say not all black people are bad. They see us as if we’re some kind of animal and it makes me furious inside when they act like animals themselves.
Growing up, my brothers played football for the city. They were really great playing football and would play a lot. I forget what happened but some parents at a game got upset that their kid didn’t play or something happened and the parent said “those n-words shouldn’t even be here.” They were talking about my brothers. My dad stepped in ready to show them what they said was wrong. I began to realize more and more how black people were really treated. In high school, I had an experience with another ethnicity calling me the N-word because her friend said I could sit down and eat at the table real quick. First instinct was to show her what a N-word could do. Friends made jokes. I laughed but inside wanted to do more about it. I became a little more vocal about letting people know they’re racist or what they’re saying about black people or some jokes wasn’t as funny when I was in college. My own white mother thought my brothers and I were saying the n-word but we would say nigga. To her she thought she could go ahead and say the word. When I first heard her say it, I was furious. I heard rumors she would say it and her mother called my dad that. When telling her, it was wrong for her to say it she became furious with me. Saying if black people can say it she can and it’s in the dictionary there’s a definition for it. I couldn’t even believe what I was hearing. A slap to the face. How dare you marry two black men and think it’s okay to say the N-word. A disappointment and a relationship that can’t be rebuilt.
So I decided to slow down our rebuilding of our relationship. This was another shock to my system but I was able to see what some white people really think. Later in years, she thought because she was hurt or angry she could call my husband the n-word in front of my children. Again she used the excuse it’s in the dictionary she could say it. That was a no go. It took all of my power not to do something I would regret. So instead. I showed my children we can live without people like that in our lives even if they are family. Sometimes blood isn’t thicker than water. This became the moment I decided I would défunt find a way to use my life, my career, and my experiences to stop this stigma against Black Lives. I will fight for my people until the day I die. This is where my activism began. I began to study about what I can do. Then Kurt Reinhold a family friend/brother of [ C e a u x ] was killed by police who were attacking him for jaywalking. Something so many American people do. This drove me. It was so close to home. So now, I am working on a plan to help bring awareness of police brutality and Black Lives.
[ P r I d e ]ful – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At [ Pr I d e ]ful, I am part of managing the brand. I mainly focus on building the brand bigger and managing [ C e a u x ]’s career. I have managed many different things in my lifetime and I find it much easier managing others to become better. My soul purpose is to help artists advance. Create ideas that can improve their success. I’ve created a tour, which can be a way for artists with no money to put themselves out there better. I’ve helped produce content for upcoming artists, producers, clothing designers, fighters, etc. I also am an activist for Black Lives through our company. We are diverse but we have people around us that have the same views that all lives do matter but the focus is on Black Lives until our system changes.
Our main focus is on being a powerhouse to help upcoming struggling creators advance. A place where we have tools to help anyone with their content to move up. Whether it’s music, videos, photography, modeling, activists, etc., we thrive to help others. Although we have our own struggles while trying to reach our dreams, we can help others see that difficulties in your path shouldn’t let you stop chasing you’re dreams or even trying things out to your best ability. While being homeless with my husband and two kids because of my mother’s racism, we are not giving up.
So far, we are known mostly for the videos we have created for others and ourselves. Clothing ideas and our work ethic. We spend hours daily perfecting our skills that can help ourselves and others. We want to provide tools and the idea that helping others shouldn’t come to a cost. Helping others shouldn’t mean we can’t learn from them and they can’t learn from us. We are diverse and do not have to be the same. We also thrive in making people feel as though they are family. Our business is completely built on making everyone we come in contact with feel like family – a lion or lioness in the [ P r I d e ].
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
[ P r I d e ]ful with being diverse with many people growing with us. Within the next 5-10 years, I have faith [ P r I d e ]ful with being a well-known name. We will grow into one of the biggest New Media businesses. We will have music on Spotify and Apple. We will have a micro-docuseries and a scripted show that’s in the process of filming. A clothing line that will focus on donating a percentage of the money towards a different cause each month. This will help put us in a better position to help more people chase their dreams. With this platform, we will also be able to support activism for Black Lives. We cannot allow the system to continue the way it is. Black Lives Matter. [ P r I d e ]ful will be known all over within 5 years. Keep watching out for us.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: mrsjaystewart_
Image Credit:
[ C e a u x ] and Paws
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