Meet Louie McClain of Melanin Origins in Arlington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Louie McClain.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am from, and I currently live in Arlington, Texas, and I have a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Pensacola Christian College. It was in Pensacola where I first discovered his passion in life-coaching troubled youth. While volunteering with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, I took on an initiative to make tutoring a court-ordered sanction and found success with Juvenile Court Judges and Probation Officers alike.

A few years later, I went on to establish Humane Resources, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization with a mission to assist the formerly incarcerated with job placement, a couple years later. Shortly after that, Project: Liberia Smile was formed which gave college age students an opportunity attend universities in Liberia, West Africa. As a result, nine scholarships were granted over the course of two years.

Other than my “Passion Projects,” I have over seven years of full-time employment in Juvenile Justice and is currently employed by American Airlines as a Development Partner. Furthermore, I am a proud father of two beautiful children named Serenity and Noah. What intrigues me the most these days is the resilience and tenacity of African American leaders who stand for truth, justice, and overcoming any obstacles placed in their way.

Thus, Melanin Origins LLC was created, a black-owned global publishing service creating books for kids, to share messages of lesser-known African American pioneers to the children of the world and empower them to aspire for excellence and chase their dreams regardless of any complications they may face. The national climate in regards to race relations in the United States has been on the decline for over a ten year period.

In my experience, it began with the election of President Barack Obama in 2008, on into the tragedy of the killing of Trayvon Martin, and then into many assaults against the lives and liberties of people of color. This tragic turn of events led to the rise of more leaders within the black community, of which I began to give more attention to.

Personally, I did not grow up thinking too much about race and inequality as Arlington is the second most diverse city in Texas. When people from other states talked about Texas, they would mention tumbleweeds, cowboy hats, and racists, but that was never my experience growing up. Blacks, Whites, Mexicans, and Asians all live together in harmony where I’m from.

The leaders that I began following instructed me to 1) create my own business, 2) learn more about the richness of my history, and 3) be more strategic in my focus on community. More can be said about those three tenets, but this caused me to learn more about the great things that Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, Ida B. Wells, Madam C.J. Walker, Marcus Garvey were able to accomplish in times that were drastically worse than the present times we face.

I soon learned that they all did not get along either and that they had very strong heated disagreements. As I learned more about their viewpoints… I said to myself, “I can’t wait until my children are old enough so that we can have these conversations with each other.” It was at that moment that the concept for my company was birthed.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road certainly has not been smooth, but it has been beautiful. Struggle is what has always made me grow and develop as a person, and there is no better satisfaction than witnessing your dreams come to life.

As CEO, I have had to wear hats that I’ve never worn before, and that can be extremely trying. I have to be the visionary, the accountant, the marketer, public relations, human resources, project manager, etc., but when I open my eyes and see over 50k followers, our books being sold in the global economy, lives being changed and inspired nationally, and other companies attempting to steal our concept… I can’t help but be thankful and grateful to God.

Specifically, I have had cease and desist letters mailed to me. I have had to ask family members for personal loans against my better judgement. I have leaned on the promises of professions I look up to and have been utterly let down (which affected our bottom line), and because we are the first of our kind – I have been rejected by scores of literary agents even after flying across the country to meet them personally.

Above all this, the greatest struggle/battle that I or anyone will face is the fight for your own self-validation. You are enough! You have everything lying within you to face your own fears of being great. You may feel that you do not have certain resources, but ask yourself… can you be resourceful? Training my mind to think positively and in faith is the greatest daily struggle that I face, and I’m happy to contend with myself and win each day.

My business partner, Francis W. Minikon Jr., and I have invested over $20k into Melanin Origins in times when it seems that everyone else is investing in vacations, clothes, cars, and other things in an attempt to affirm their self-worth to the onlooking public. We wholeheartedly believe in 1) building generational wealth for our families and 2) the value that our company brings to our community.

We gladly take the bumps in the road and learning curves. We take these risks knowing that even greater things are at stake. Melanin Origins inspires children to believe in themselves. This alone is enough fuel for us to continue towards our goals.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Melanin Origins story. Tell us more about the business.
Melanin Origins is a global publishing service that specializes in children’s book about lesser-known African American Pioneers, Leaders, and Innovators. We have several platforms including Black History Early Learning Materials, Curriculum Supplements, and Assessments for First Grade, Self-Publishing Project Management and Consulting, our Cool Genes Cartoon Show, Motivational Speaking and Workshops, and Merchandise.

Our mission is to provide quality learning materials which inspire young minds to aspire for excellence while embracing their heritage. Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, a term coined by Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, is a teaching that believes that culture is central to learning. It recognizes the importance of including students’ cultural references in all aspects of learning. While many studies exist to explain why African American students do not excel well academically, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy has been proven to increase academic achievement. This is the foundation of our learning materials.

The vision of Melanin Origins is to become the largest culturally competent book provider in the United States of America. Cultural competence is the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures, not merely tolerate them or meet quotas for diversity and inclusion. Competence is the destination.

We began our company highlighting the lives and achievements of lesser-known African American pioneers for children in second grade and below, but we will also expand our book topics to middle grade, teen, and young adult audiences as well as cover lesser-known innovators from Latin, Asian, African, and European cultures.

We are most proud of our historical leaders for leading exceptional lives. They dedicated themselves to excellence in hopes that we, who are living today, will be in the best situation possible. What sets us apart from the rest is this – we introduce our children to their leader in the most healthy way possible.

Presently, when the public school system wants to talk Black History… that conversation begins with slavery which, by default, instills an inferiority complex in our children. All children get to hear of the greatness of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison, but not about Ida B. Wells, Madam C.J. Walker, or Marcus Garvey – this is inequity. Melanin Origins tactically provides that learning opportunity for all children.

Our motto is “Channeling the greatness that lies within.” At Melanin Origins, we sincerely believe that each child has, not just the capacity for, but actual greatness residing within them. We believe it. Maybe it’s lying dormant in some, but our learning materials stir up the gift. We even took it farther in naming our cartoon show Cool Genes which is the notion that each child has a unique ability, embedded in their DNA, to pursue excellence and be great.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is merely when preparation meets opportunity. Opportunities abound, so we remain prepared.

Pricing:

• Buy One Get One Free (Books) $11
• Initial Publishing Consultation $4.99

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MelaninOrigins.com
• Phone: 8179388202
• Email: LMcClain@MelaninOrigins.com
• Instagram: @MelaninOrigins
• Facebook: @MelaninOrigins
• Twitter: @MelaninOrigins

Image Credit:
Tyson Pough

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