Black Sands Entertainment: Interview with President and Author of Black Sands Entertainment, Manuel Godoy
Black Sands Entertainment is a publishing company that focuses on Black stories and content. Founder and owner Manuel Godoy recognizes the severe sting impact that COVID-19 has had on Black-owned businesses and now, more than ever, he aspires to create an environment where Black creators can flourish.
Manuel Godoy, President and Author of Black Sands Entertainment, recently discussed his experiences at the helm of a company and its forthcoming app via an exclusive interview.
Meagan Meehan (MM): How did you initially get interested in publishing and how did you break into the industry?
Manuel Godoy (MG): I earned my degree in economics with the intention of pursuing a career in production. Considering my passion for creating and knowledge of economics and business, I wanted to create content and run a business that focused on serving the underrepresented African American community. With this idea, I began creating books and comics featuring African American characters and in 2017 I officially launched Black Sands Entertainment.
MM: How come you gravitated towards Black creators and content?
MG: There has been very little light shed on the representation of African Americans in the entertainment industry. Due to this, the whole idea behind Black Sands Entertainment is to counter Hollywood’s narrative and give African Americans a space to change this agenda. We help fight this fight through our comics, stories and other products. In addition, we have an app, the Black Sands Publishing App coming out this Black History Month. Essentially the idea of the app is to provide other African American content creators like myself with a platform to produce and share content to our massive audience all for free via the app.
MM: What are some of your most interesting projects to date?
MG: As I just touched on, we are preparing for The Black Sands Publishing App launch early next year. The Black Sands Publishing App will serve as an exclusive platform for Black content creators and will bridge together readers and creators within the Black community. The app will include seamless mobile comics, create a gamified experience and include numerous social features to increase community engagement. The app will also open doors for other Black creators by offering free publishing, funding support, and monetization. Among all of Black Sand’s accomplishments, this app is the most important project to us to date.
MM: How are you trying to help people after the onset of COVID-19?
MG: COVID-19 has severely affected small businesses and creators around the world. Black-owned businesses in particular have experienced significant economic loss and continue to face an uphill battle to recovery. The Black Sands Publishing App provides African American content creators with a safe place to share content and reach an audience with possible investors. We hope this app will create a substantial shift in the content development and distribution marketplace for the African American community.
MM: What are your ultimate goals for the company’s future and is there anything else that you would like to mention?
MG: Our ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between Black creators, readers, and investors and change the representation of African Americans in the entertainment industry.
