Walking into the room to do the interview with an auburn brown afro and giving off a calming and laid back impression , Melanie Dunning, the CEO of Major Motives, did not live up to that impression. Being very cheerful and playful, Dunning began to tell the story of how it all began. From a conversation in high school with her current roommate and production manager, Maya Goudeau, a seed was planted in Dunning’s mind to start her own production company.

            Growing up in Laurel, Md., Dunning was a fan of 1990’s television shows and movies such as “Sister, Sister,” “Kenan and Kel,” “All That,” and other shows that displayed different perspectives and cultures as main characters. As reality television began to take over, her interest was lost due to the lack of positive African-American roles in television and movies.

            “Everybody sees Tyler Perry films and they think that is black people,” says Dunning referring to “The Madea” series where she believes almost every African-American stereotype is represented. “I think Tyler Perry only sees things from one point of view. There are multiple African-American stories that need to be told."

By: Rock B

I know who I am.
5'11 wishing I was 6 feet
Wanna be swole, but kinda skinny
Young black man from the streets of the Land where everybody that say fam ain't really your fam.
I know EXACTLY who I am. . .
Son of a working single mother
Don't have a single brother
Or sister, but a long line of cousins
That I'll see every now and again...
Moral of the story is: it's just me.
I'm all that I see, I'm all that I hear
And I know this may sound weird but I am one of my biggest fears.
Alone doesn't necessarily mean lonely, but the more time you spend alone you wonder who would want me

And then I met you

I look in your eyes and...
...
I forget what I like.
I forget what I want to say, I forget if it's night or day, I'm just like ...
Wow... Look at her.
I hold myself speechless because
I fear that my thoughts on your ears would make you wish I'd speak less
It's like your eyes are the stars at night,
but they're also a camera, and I get stage fright. 

At the end of the night I realize.
This is not love. This is not like.
This is a fight.
A fight between me and you.
If this was a fight of who cares less than whom
I'll always lose.
If this was a fight about who has less to prove
I'd  lose
If this was a fight about who does the best in school
I'd still lose
I don't know what it's about but I know it's a fight between me and you

I don't wanna lose
Because me losing the fight means losing you
If I can't break through and get you to see what's true
All the things I want to do
All the things I want us to be
I know you'll leave
And anything that had to do with we
Will be just me... Just me

You want me to describe how I feel
"So you know it's real"
If you were lost at sea
I'd swim until our eyes meet
Without a boat, without a life jacket to stay afloat
Lord knows I'm a terrible swimmer,
But I'd swim until my limbs grew tired
Out in the great blue sea
In hopes that you could see
What you mean to me. 

See this is a fight I don't want to lose
(Though I am prepared)
I'm ready to go until the last round
Until the bell sounds
Until the clock reads all 0's
I'm giving it all I got
Taking my best shots
This isn't about a win, tie or lose
This is me vs you
To see the things we could possibly do...

By: Rock B

"My eyes have never seen. Someone so beautiful" - Right on Time / Joey Bada$$

I saw her in passing
And my first intent wasn't smashing
It was how can I get to know you so we can make something lasting
I could tell from the look in her eye
She understands
Fast forward and we're laughing
Sharing touching stories
And I hear the sound of crashing
Those walls.... Are coming down.
I understand she and she understands me
See I think Ima call her Ms. Understand
See when anything goes wrong, she has a plan
And even if that plan is nothing more than
Sit down with me and say everything will be ok. I ... Understand
Aww man. You just don't know how happy I am
Fast forward further
And lines begin to blur.
I say some things to her
That in my mind never occurred
My words
Come out faster than Vin Diesel speeding around the curve
I passed a sign but I could not read what it said
"Under. Construction"
Now when I try to take that same walk home
The path I knew is gone
I see a pair of eyes
But in those eyes I see lies
Fake smiles and defensive pride
Yet those eyes can still see what's inside
I see what she thinks of me
Man. Less than
I try my hardest to explain
What goes on in my heart and brain
Cuz' sometimes it drives me insane
And after my spill I'm expecting to hear "I understand"
She wont say it
But her heart tells me "you misunderstand"

With a moto of "Never Doubt, Just Fly", Justin Ricks has begun a line of t-shirts, each one giving a nod to the moto. He has high aspirations and dreams and is well on his way toward accomplishing all of them. He hopes to motivate others to do the same with his fresh and fly t-shirts! For ordering inquiries or a link to more designs, please email Justin Ricks at [email protected] or visit ndjf.bigcartel.com. New products are being uploaded.