My experiences, particularly the pain of abandoning my art, have significantly shaped my identity and social entrepreneur path.
LITTLESTOWN, Pa., Jan. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- When the World Is Ready for You, the Universe Will Give You the Green Light
By Patricia Green Rodgers, MSW, MSPR
The sign of an artist: staying at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience until almost closing after arriving in the morning. I'm that artist. Yet, I never practiced art professionally. I abandoned it when my parents said I couldn't move to Paris to study art. Understanding their decision now, as segregation was still a fact of life in my hometown, Richmond, Virginia, doesn't negate the fact that I suffered my art. No more drawing pictures of my signature "Big-eyed Children," using acrylics and making pottery. Yet art lives in me, and I use it now to build bridges across differences. My experiences, particularly the pain of abandoning my art, have significantly shaped my identity and social entrepreneur path.
Art is how I think and feel and doesn't have to match my couch. Art is love. Art is politics. Art is persuasion. Art mirrors life. Art is a poster with a social message that strikes an emotional chord with its target audience. Art is a catalyst for social change. I haven't gotten to Paris, yet London was in my head in 2006, and after an exhaustive Internet search, I found my teaming partner: self-made millionaire Dr Yvonne Thompson, CBE. My goal? To launch business links between Black female business owners in the US and their counterparts in the UK. The Patricia Green Group, my public relations agency, and WinTrade Global, Yvonne's platform for women leaders globally, were ready to seize the power of global women power. President George W. Bush recognized my efforts, inviting the first delegation I led to a business reception hosted by the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, The Honorable Robert Tuttle. My London connections opened doors when I was the publicist to Dr. Donda West for her book Raising Kanye's London Tour. PRNews recognized me as one of the top 50 game-changers in public relations. My relationship with Yvonne continues in new and exciting frontiers. I've realized these connections are not just professional but personal, and they are the key to empowering women and effecting social change.
When I married my husband and moved to his Adams County, Pennsylvania home, I realized I was out of my lane. But was I? I am a Black woman married to a white man, and we live on a farm in a small town outside of Gettysburg. He is retired, and my public relations agency, The Patricia Green Group, is my primary revenue source. Once settled at my new home, I found women, joined networks and accepted board memberships. Bottom line: I engaged. Yet something was missing. Then came my aha moment—Weekend Experiences for Black Women in Gettysburg and Weekend Experiences for Black Power Couples in Gettysburg. These experiences are curated events that bring together Black professionals and couples in a relaxing and culturally enriching environment. Gettysburg also carries a historical narrative central to slavery's end: The Battle of Gettysburg.
Gettysburg attracts more than a million visitors yearly. Yet African Americans are a small percentage. I used my influencer networks to change that narrative, bringing more than 50 Blacks with disposable dollars to Gettysburg who are influencing others to come here. The calming environment was appealing to the busy professionals. Shopping, eating, and sampling hometown wine and liquors were popular attractions. New relationships flourished with each group. A magazine publisher, a retired Pittsburgh Steeler, now a juvenile court judge, a Clinton White House speechwriter, a former FBI agent, a university professor, and a medical doctor were attendees. Destination Gettysburg, the tourism arm of Adams County, is in its second year of an ad campaign with Soul Pitt, a Black magazine in Pittsburgh. I am one of the publication's correspondents, writing articles about Black movers and shakers here. I am hosting my fourth Black author's discussion and book signing on February 28, partnering with the Adams County Library. Our guest is Wayne Dawkins, author of his most recent book, Sam Lacy and Wendell Smith: The Dynamic Duo That Desegregated American Sports. While here, Wayne will also meet with Destination Gettysburg to share tips on attracting Black journalists to cover stories about Gettysburg.
I married my husband and moved to our farm in 2017. Though he is white, I call him a soul in a human body. We have an organic vegetable garden and herb plants. I capture pictures and videos of the farm's beauty and tranquility and post them on my social media. Stress is a killer. Something about the simple life and healthy eating fits at this stage of my life. There is also something about having friends who enjoy weekend experiences here and leave fortified to take on what is waiting for them with clarity and calm. There is something magical about connecting women in the US with women in other parts of the world that charts a path for a better world because women get it done! There is something about meeting a man who loves me completely as I love him. Things don't always happen when we want them to, but they are always on time.
Looking back, I reflect on conversations with my parents when they could not catch my vision. Admittedly, they didn't have confidence in my artist self. Their doubt allowed me to pivot from an artist to a social entrepreneur, a visionary publicist committed to building bridges across differences and empowering women. If there are barriers to your purpose, remember that setbacks can lead to unexpected paths to success. Also, the art of connections can yield the most profound masterpieces.
When the World Is Ready for You, the Universe Will Give You the Green Light
By Patricia Green Rodgers, MSW, MSPR
The sign of an artist: staying at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience until almost closing after arriving in the morning. I'm that artist. Yet, I never practiced art professionally. I abandoned it when my parents said I couldn't move to Paris to study art. Understanding their decision now, as segregation was still a fact of life in my hometown, Richmond, Virginia, doesn't negate the fact that I suffered my art. No more drawing pictures of my signature "Big-eyed Children," using acrylics and making pottery. Yet art lives in me, and I use it now to build bridges across differences. My experiences, particularly the pain of abandoning my art, have significantly shaped my identity and social entrepreneur path.
Art is how I think and feel and doesn't have to match my couch. Art is love. Art is politics. Art is persuasion. Art mirrors life. Art is a poster with a social message that strikes an emotional chord with its target audience. Art is a catalyst for social change. I haven't gotten to Paris, yet London was in my head in 2006, and after an exhaustive Internet search, I found my teaming partner: self-made millionaire Dr Yvonne Thompson, CBE. My goal? To launch business links between Black female business owners in the US and their counterparts in the UK. The Patricia Green Group, my public relations agency, and WinTrade Global, Yvonne's platform for women leaders globally, were ready to seize the power of global women power. President George W. Bush recognized my efforts, inviting the first delegation I led to a business reception hosted by the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, The Honorable Robert Tuttle. My London connections opened doors when I was the publicist to Dr. Donda West for her book Raising Kanye's London Tour. PRNews recognized me as one of the top 50 game-changers in public relations. My relationship with Yvonne continues in new and exciting frontiers. I've realized these connections are not just professional but personal, and they are the key to empowering women and effecting social change.
When I married my husband and moved to his Adams County, Pennsylvania home, I realized I was out of my lane. But was I? I am a Black woman married to a white man, and we live on a farm in a small town outside of Gettysburg. He is retired, and my public relations agency, The Patricia Green Group, is my primary revenue source. Once settled at my new home, I found women, joined networks and accepted board memberships. Bottom line: I engaged. Yet something was missing. Then came my aha moment—Weekend Experiences for Black Women in Gettysburg and Weekend Experiences for Black Power Couples in Gettysburg. These experiences are curated events that bring together Black professionals and couples in a relaxing and culturally enriching environment. Gettysburg also carries a historical narrative central to slavery's end: The Battle of Gettysburg.
Gettysburg attracts more than a million visitors yearly. Yet African Americans are a small percentage. I used my influencer networks to change that narrative, bringing more than 50 Blacks with disposable dollars to Gettysburg who are influencing others to come here. The calming environment was appealing to the busy professionals. Shopping, eating, and sampling hometown wine and liquors were popular attractions. New relationships flourished with each group. A magazine publisher, a retired Pittsburgh Steeler, now a juvenile court judge, a Clinton White House speechwriter, a former FBI agent, a university professor, and a medical doctor were attendees. Destination Gettysburg, the tourism arm of Adams County, is in its second year of an ad campaign with Soul Pitt, a Black magazine in Pittsburgh. I am one of the publication's correspondents, writing articles about Black movers and shakers here. I am hosting my fourth Black author's discussion and book signing on February 28, partnering with the Adams County Library. Our guest is Wayne Dawkins, author of his most recent book, Sam Lacy and Wendell Smith: The Dynamic Duo That Desegregated American Sports. While here, Wayne will also meet with Destination Gettysburg to share tips on attracting Black journalists to cover stories about Gettysburg. i
I married my husband and moved to our farm in 2017. Though he is white, I call him a soul in a human body. We have an organic vegetable garden and herb plants. I capture pictures and videos of the farm's beauty and tranquility and post them on my social media. Stress is a killer. Something about the simple life and healthy eating fits at this stage of my life. There is also something about having friends who enjoy weekend experiences here and leave fortified to take on what is waiting for them with clarity and calm. There is something magical about connecting women in the US with women in other parts of the world that charts a path for a better world because women get it done! There is something about meeting a man who loves me completely as I love him. Things don't always happen when we want them to, but they are always on time.
Looking back, I reflect on conversations with my parents when they could not catch my vision. Admittedly, they didn't have confidence in my artist self. Their doubt allowed me to pivot from an artist to a social entrepreneur, a visionary publicist committed to building bridges across differences and empowering women. If there are barriers to your purpose, remember that setbacks can lead to unexpected paths to success. Also, the art of connections can yield the most profound masterpieces.
Media Contact
Patricia Green, The Patricia Green Group, 3015261089, [email protected], patriciagreengroup.com
SOURCE The Patricia Green Group
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