At the Taste Bar + Grill in Fondren, Jackson State University alums and stars of OWN’s Belle Collective—Tambra Cherie and Latrice Rogers—brought the JSU spirit to the season 4 premiere party and panel hosted by Carlos King. The ladies shared their thoughts on JSU, homecoming and how it all fits into their reality television space.
Belle With a Mic
Cherie, on-air media personality, talked about being an HBCU graduate on a reality t.v. show and the benefits of the platform. “It’s amazing. It’s amazing. You know one of the things that I wanted to highlight joining the show was Jackson and Jackson State University. You may have even seen on Belle Collective that one thing I wanted to do was to make sure they went to homecoming with me, and they did that,” she shared.
Cherie didn’t stop there. The Dish Nation co-host said that one year while hosting Rock the Runway, the capital city’s annual fashion show, she made sure the Sonic Boom of the South participated.
“That’s part of the culture. I want the world to see all of this culture that we have right here in Jackson, Mississippi,” she said.
Coincidentally, the Belle Collective’s season premiere falls on one of Jackson State’s most anticipated events – Yard Fest. “I think that is absolutely amazing. I love it. I’m excited about it. I’m definitely excited anytime that we can showcase Jackson, and we can showcase successful women and what they’re doing in this city and Jackson State alumni who are successful. And you can see that on a national level. I’m all for it,” she said.
Cherie said that she wants women who watch the show to recognize the positive themes weaved throughout their storylines.
“That’s what I hope they really take from this season. A lot of success, motivation, encouragement, and inspiration as well,” she said.
When asked what advice Cherie would give students aspiring to be in the entertainment industry, she acknowledges that her work as an on-air radio and TV personality prepped her for a future in reality television.
“Everything that I was doing before, it just prepared me for that. It’s the reason that, you know, I’m here. All of that prepared me for just getting media. Honestly, as far as media is concerned, follow your dreams. You know, I follow what I love. I love people. I love music. I love entertainment,” Cherie said.
She was then reminded of a quote from her grandfather, who said: “anytime that you do what you love, you never work a day in your life.”
Vivacious and magnetic, Cherie said she is excited about Mondays because she loves going to work and wants others to feel the same. So, she encouraged students to follow their dreams, follow their passions and don’t let up.
When it comes to the show that has been both applauded and critiqued, Cherie said every platform has a purpose and the Belle Collective still has a purpose for her.
“The amount of love and emails that I get and DM’s that I receive from women across the world lets me know if I can inspire one person or help one person, I’ve done my job. So that’s important to me. Every platform has to have a purpose and everything that I do.”
Reality King
King, executive producer and creator of the Love and Marriage Franchise and Belle Collective on OWN Network, is not a Jackson State alum but said he recognizes the power of his platform for African Americans.
“I’m happy to be able to continue to provide America and mainstream America with shows that showcase the excellence of black people who did go to HBCUs and to really show the importance of really having that institution remain for our kids because we get to see how they are, you know, once they graduate college and a lot of them still live in the state in which they went to school. That makes me happy too,” said the owner of Kingdom Reign Entertainment.
King said he wants students who are looking to get into production to focus on internships and relationship building. “I was the king of internships before becoming the king of reality television. So, me being in college, I followed the path of interning at various places because I wanted to take advantage of being in school,” he said.
The Detroit native said he interned everywhere because no one was declining free work before finally landing at BET where he was hired as a production assistant. “Then years later I got into reality television. But my advice truly, truly, is that an internship is the perfect way to get in the door. And once you’re in the door, don’t be a know-it-all be a sponge,” he said.
King said that his company is launching an internship program in the near future so students should stay tuned, before adding that the new season of Belle Collective is every Friday at 8 pm./7 pm CST.
“It’s a lighter season. The girls are correcting their friendships and relationships and we’re diving into the new Belle, Selena and what’s going on in her friendships with the ladies, but also what’s going on with her ex-husband.
Biology Major to Beauty Mogul
Rogers holds a JSU degree in biology but switched to the entrepreneurial lane and established Goddess Lengths, a multi-million-dollar business, focused on hair care. As if that was not enough, the CEO has stepped into the restaurant business opening TASTE bar + grill with an official ribbon cutting in early October.
“It was actually my husband. It was never my idea to get in the restaurant industry. I don’t even know how to cook,” she said, then laughed. Rogers and her husband have a “buy back the block” mantra and this time they put their words in action.
“We saw this building and we got it for a great price. Like we couldn’t pass it up. So, we were wondering what could I do with this building? And my husband was like, do a restaurant. And I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s go,’ and this place was born,” said Rogers of her fine dining establishment that serves succulent sounding options from crab claws and oysters Rockefeller to charcuterie delight and oxtails with pasta.
Viewers will get to watch Rogers and her husband navigate their new business endeavor during the latest season. The proprietor said she wants her restaurant to be one of elegance, “because I put so much hard work and so much love into it, I wanted to give a different experience to Jackson, Mississippi. So, when you come here, I want you to think Miami or L.A. – different vibes; sexy vibes.”
When it comes to good vibes, Rogers said JSU homecoming is a celebration of Black Excellence. “Nobody does it like us. Like you cannot go to any other state, any other HBCU, and get the experience of homecoming like here.”
Rogers is also making sure JSU students like Jarek Peterson receives real-world experiences. He serves as the eateries social media manager, who helps to promote their tantalizing dishes on Instagram and Tik Tok.
Peterson a junior therepeutic recreation major said, “To be a Jackson State product, and they’re Jackson State products, you can’t tell me what God can’t do at Jackson State University. They were once students at Jackson State now they’re successful and thriving with businesses and different endeavors. It’s just a blessing. Also, being around these group of individuals, they educate me and they broaden my knowledge when it comes to the entertainment environment. I’m very thankful for that because one day in the future, I would love to be on TV and do commercials and things of that nature.”