Tamika Newhouse defeated the stigma that a Black girl’s life is derailed and sometimes over when she has an unexpected pregnancy. The Texan teen mom of two refused to let anyone or anything stop her from chasing her childhood dream of becoming an author. For the past 13 years, Tamika has been a must-watch trailblazer in the literary industry. She worked tirelessly as a single mother hosting radio shows, events, and writing books of her own until she established her own publishing company, Delphine publications, at 23. Shortly after, in 2008, the entrepreneur created AAMBC Inc. (African-Americans On The Move Book Club) to “advocate for literary arts, literacy in low-income communities, and bridging the gap for Black writers with opportunities,” as stated in their mission statement. Tamika has been doing just that, publishing 300 titles in her career thus far, creating events celebrating and exposing hundreds of writers such as the AAMBC Awards, Black Writer’s Weekend, & her writers Cre8tiveCon.
In 2019, Tamika decided to share the story of her rollercoaster road to success as a Black publisher with her visual podcast series Traces of Mika. The unscripted series shares intimate conversions between Tamika and her friends/ family (whether close or estranged). They unpack troubles and traumas ranging from single motherhood to depression in the workplace they’ve experienced during Tamika’s time with and/or without them. Together, they open old wounds they thought they’d healed from to uproot core issues to begin the journey to healing genuinely. In its most authentic nature, Traces of Mika is a raw, funny, tearful podcast that inspires listeners to chase their dreams as fearlessly as Tamika pursued hers.
Her optimistic and unadulterated view on the subject of mental illness and depression in Black women challenges listeners to dive into their journeys and heal. Traces of Mika season 2 has screened at several film festivals across the country and recently she has nabbed her first festival win. The Urban Mediamakers Festival awarded her for Best Podcast at their 2021 festival awards.
“I honestly was shocked that I would win anything. Winning an award was never the goal, getting people to listen was, and now look! I’m now an award-winning Podcaster. I had to take myself out for drinks after that. This is one win that I celebrated. This win gives me more motivation to continue to develop more content around my experiences. Traces of Mika is a project that challenges me in every way and I am humbled to have been awarded for that.” Tamika Newhouse on reflecting on her first film festival award win. She’s excited for the future of her podcast as she’s gearing up for an exciting tour across the U.S. for the Traces of Mika LIVE Tour in 2022.
Tune in to listen to Tamika Newhouse’s award-winning podcast Traces of Mika on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Audible. To view her intimate interviews, watch the series on Youtube. Future tour dates will be posted at TamikaNewhouse.comThe AAMBC Journal |
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