We recently connected with Melody Blackledge and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Melody , thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

The most pressing matter that I would change about the education system is to find a way to honor teachers. Teachers used to be well-respected, pillars of our communities. Over time, that seems to have changed. The work of teachers has gotten more difficult over the decades, but the community support and value of our teachers has diminished. Our students all over the world cannot learn and progress without teachers. Teachers are working tirelessly to be everything for their students, but they don’t get the recognition or respect that they deserve. I know that when teachers feel appreciated and safe in schools, this will have a direct positive impact on students everywhere. Whenever there are discussions about education, it’s always about how students are effected and the safety of our student (which is priority). However, the nation should start understanding that teachers are equally effected and should be equally considered. If teachers aren’t safe, how can our students be safe? If teachers aren’t factored into these large-scale discussions and policy changes, then how can they best serve their students? If teachers continue to be an after-thought, how does that best serve our young people? There cannot and should not be conversations about students and school policy, that do not also include the people who teach them, care for them, mentor them, protect them, and love them.

Melody , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Melody Blackledge and I am an educator. I’ve taught in urban schools across the D.C. Metropolitan area for over 13 years. While I am a teacher by trade, I have recently accepted the title of business owner. I am the owner of All Blakk Everything, LLC. I started my business during the height of the pandemic. I did all of the formalities of legitamizing my business, however, I didn’t become active until approximately 18 months later. I started by business because I’ve learned over the years how important it is to have something you can call your own. More importantly, I wanted members of the African disapora to have a company that is for them, with products made by them. I also wanted to provide an opportunity for small business owners to grow their businesses. So, what is All Blakk Everything, LLC? All Blakk Everything, LLC is a one-stop online retail shop containing a wide variety of products from Black-Owned businesses. We sell items from pens, to soft tees, to collectibles, to accessories, and so much more. Over time, we plan to add more amazing options to our product list. At All Blakk Everything, we pride ourselves on providing quality products, superior customer service, and customer satisfaction. We provide a variety of brand items to meet the needs of our valued customers. Our overall mission is to empower members of the African diaspora in ways that we aren’t able to feel empowered before. Our mission is N.I.S.S. (network, inspire, support and share). We plan to build community through providing opportunities for Black business owners. The goal is for us to come together, support one another, provide quality products, and provide services to members of the community, in the best way possible. Our mission is to do as much as we can to serve our community.

What I am most proud about is that we offered our First Annual All Blakk Everything Scholarship this year. This scholarship was offered to high-school Seniors pursuing post-secondary education at an Historically Black College or University (HBCU). We also donated two All Blakk Everything Super Mystery Boxes to support a 2023 Mother’s Day event, as well as an international group for empowering women. Our latest endeavor is to collaborate with a local charity organization, as well as do a food drive before 2023 is over. Lastly, we are extraordinarily proud to say that in the last year, All Blakk Everything, LLC has supported, collaborated with, and/or patronized over 100 Black-Owned businesses nationwide.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In May of 2022, I was physically assaulted by one of my 16 year-old male students. I sustained immediate injuries and some long-term injuries. To date I am still being treated for physical and emotional injuries from the assault. I fell into a deep depression, I had to take leave from work, and I was diagnosed with PTSD. This past year has been one of the hardest years of my life. Unable to work, suffering with insomnia, having adverse reactions to my medications, and battling anxiety & depression, I felt hopeless. The title that I had deemed most valuable [TEACHER] was stripped away from me in an instant. Not being in the classroom was foreign to me. Not being able to work was foreign to me. Not seeing my students everyday was foreign to me. I was in the biggest transition of my life. So after several months of battling deep depression, I started my healing journey. I am still on my healing journey. I’ve made significant gains and had some devastating setbacks. But now I am on a mission to be better than I was before. I am optimistic about my future. I will meet adversity with determination to overcome all obstacles. I don’t know what all is in store for me, but I know that I won’t let this unfortunate tragedy hold me back from being the woman I am meant to be.

Already having created my business during the pandemic, I felt as though I was pushed to redirect my attention and efforts from the classroom to my business. After the assault and not being able to work, I managed to create an online website for my business. During this time, I started working to improve my online/social media presence for my business. I was able to find a handful of distributors for my business and I found some manufacturers (Minority Small Business Owners) to produce my pens, soft tees, unisex t-shirts, tumblers, journals, and more. Working with these Black-owned businesses continues to inspire me and push me to keep going. I am so proud and honored to be a member of a community of people that are breaking barriers, serving others, and pursing generational wealth. So while I experienced the greatest trauma of my life, I have been able to use this time to network and put my energies into growing a successful business.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What has truly helped to build my reputation within my market is that my mission is crystal clear. My mission is to support and connect members of the African Diaspora nationwide and eventually worldwide. My goals are obvious, I am very consistent in my messages, and I will do whatever is necessary to ensure customer satisfaction. Also, I don’t have a problem supporting and promoting other businesses, whether we sell the same products or not. I believe that what is for me, is for me. And I don’t shy away from highlighting the successes and products of other Black-Owned businesses. Coming together is such an embedded part of our mission at All Blakk Everything, LLC. I think this is a big part of what has helped to build my reputation within the market.

In full transparency, I think people have mixed feelings about All Blakk Everything, LLC. Some people have assumed that my business excludes people outside of the African diaspora. That simply is not true. At All Blakk Everything, everyone is welcomed. We are open to partnering with anyone who shares our mission and aspirations to support underserved-minority communities and Black-owned businesses nationwide. While our target audience has most recently been Black women, we hope to expand our clientele to include a more diverse population in the very near future.

But overall, my goal is unity, love, and prosperity. When so many negative aspects of the Black community are so often highlighted in the media, I pride myself on painting a more balanced and factual picture of my people and what we are all about. Most of us are not violent. Most of us are educated. Most of us just want to provide for our families and ourselves. Most of us are amazingly talented people that help to make the world a better place. And that is how I want my people to be viewed and portrayed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AllBlakkEverything.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/All_Blakk_Everything
• Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/AllBlakkEverythingLLC
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/MsBlackledge
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AllBlakkEverythingLLC
• Other: My Travel Agency Website: AllBlakkEverythingJetsetting.inteletravel.com

Image Credits
I own the rights to all images submitted. The logo is trademarked and I give you permission to use my logo in your publication.