Verge was lucky enough to sit down with Tiffany Blackmon; an anchor and reporter for the NFL Network, to talk about her career and achievements throughout her life and why UBELONG is important to her.
Being one of the first black female sports reporters and anchors in Houston is something I never really thought about. Even as I was working my way up throughout all the stops that I had before getting to Houston, you know was never really brought up to my action until I had a lot of younger black females start reaching out to me and that’s when I really realized the position that I am in- now I relish the opportunity to help other younger girls, black or white or anything, as they progress their careers in television as well.
My sports background came from my father, who was in the NFL for about thirty years as a player and a coach. I played soccer when I was growing up and continued playing throughout high school and then into college as well. I had some really good professors at Georgia state that help me to set up with a good first-time job coming out of school, I worked for the weather channel behind the scenes and got my feet wet in the TV business, I then was able to hustle and grind to get my first TV job.
It’s important to see woman and sports working in sports television also writers too, just because so many women out there that are successful at what they are doing in this industry and that they should have these opportunities because they earned it. Not because they’re women, but they can prove that they can do the job and do it at a high level. Something I know now that I wish I learned sooner was to be kinder and more gentle to myself because your gonna make mistakes; things are going to happen along the way, so I wish I could of back then be more forgiving to myself because those mistakes have really helped to shape what you see on camera.
UBELONG to me means that you are part of a community of powerful women that are successful, motivated, hungry and determined to forge a path for other women that are coming along the way in this industry. It’s something so powerful and that can make such an impact for people to recognize that they’re not alone in this and that you have sisters to lean on for support is such a very special thing to have.
Credits:
@bee_alyssatrofort
@tailiahbreon (videographer)
@arielleantoinette_makeup (MUA)
@angelamullenstyle (wardrobe)
