I often sit and reflect on the past. It can be difficult looking back on where things went wrong, the mistakes that were made, the mental anguish during those times and facing the truth daily. However, once you are able to look back with the right mindset, it really helps to understand and deal with things while continuing to move forward. Prayer and talking to God also helps my wellbeing. I also choose to be vulnerable and talk about my feelings with friends, family and the public and promote that everything is not always perfect at times. Working out and finding ‘me’ time is essential as well, stresses of life and work can sometimes put your own wellbeing on the back burner, even if you can dedicate 15 minutes of alone time. Lastly, I choose to sit still and meditate. It’s important to find balance.
As a part of our series about Mental Health Champions helping to promote mental wellness, I had the pleasure to interview James DuBose.
James DuBose is an innovative, visionary, and thought leader known for producing culture-shaping content and sharing the voice and lived experiences of Black people around the globe. DuBose built his entire career with his focus on four fundamental pillars, which are to inspire, educate, uplift, and entertain Black audiences.
He experienced a rapid rise through the ranks and currently serves as Head of Programming / Executive Producer of Fox Soul, a new, live, and interactive streaming channel dedicated to African American viewers. Fox Soul is available on YouTube, Samsung TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Vizio, Tubi, Xumo, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Foxsoul.tv, Twitch, Caffeine, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
DuBose has built an impressive catalogue of assets known for garnering record-breaking television network numbers. He executive-produced and syndicated the entertainment show Dish Nation, E! Networks’s WAGS Atlanta, as well as the hit projects under his DuBose Entertainment banner, such as Kevin Hart’s One Mic Stand, Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, Monica’s Still Standing, Tiny and Toya, Toya: A Family Affair, Trey Songz: My Moment, The Michael Vick Project, Hell Date, and Comic View, among others. DuBose has also started to take his innate storytelling and creative ability to the theatre and currently has films in development with Grindstone Entertainment/Lionsgate.
DuBose is most proud of owning that his roles as a Black executive in entertainment means lifting as he climbs and supporting the economic empowerment of Black communities.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in Greensboro, NC where the majority of my family still lives. It was just my mother and I in the household until we moved in with her boyfriend when I was starting junior high, but I had a lot of love from my mother’s and father’s side of the family. Both sets of my grandparents were very dear to me, Sloan and Janie Westmoreland and Martin and Annie DuBose. I pull a lot of insights that I learned from them as a child to this very day. However, it really took me until my adult years to genuinely start to understand the lessons they instilled in me. I played football, basketball and baseball for most of my upbringing, which kept me out of trouble while my mom worked multiple jobs at a time to provide for us. I am forever grateful to her for that.
Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to address?
The black voice and community has mainly been underserved, underappreciated and undervalued and we want to address that head on by providing a platform where we can unapologetically speak our truth without having to water it down. FOX SOUL aims to entertain, educate and inspire the black community while being consumable by all. There are of course a lot of networks that focus on serving the black community with their content, but since FOX SOUL is a live and interactive platform, the viewers are able to be a part of the discussions in real time. The one thing I have mainly learned is that people really want to be heard and respected. At FOX SOUL, we continue to strive to provide a place where those voices can be heard.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about your career?
I knew at a very early age that I loved sports and creating and did not want to do anything else. God blessed me with not just the gifts to do both, but the gift to identify that this was my passion in life. I’m honestly a quiet guy. Therefore, my position in sports allowed my talent to speak for me while creating allowed my stories to speak on my behalf in the entertainment field. I can truly and honestly say, I absolutely love what I do and that is the reason I never give up. At times everything around me says to stop. But I know I have to push myself to keep going and love knowing that my purpose and passion for this field is really the only inspiration I need to move my future in the right direction.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
A lot of us dream of different things that we feel we want to do or be but find it hard to start. When we finally are able to start, the path is not always smooth. There can be bumps in the road making it hard, and when it gets hard, we find it even harder to continue. I believe that dreams often do not coincide with a purpose, and in the microwave society we are living in now, it’s easy to see who dreams with no purpose because people quit those dreams too easily if not manifested at the exact time people hope for. I try to tell people if you are tired of starting over, then stop quitting. For me, my unwavering faith in God and myself has always been my trigger. However, my faith has been a gift and a curse because it has stopped my confusion on what I should do and just do what I know my heart and soul are telling me to do. That’s why, I know that FOX SOUL is my true purpose. Many of us believe we have found our purpose, but there is a different feeling and approach when you know you have truly found peace where you are in this very moment.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
What I would like to share is not really a story but more of a revelation. I speak openly about my trials and tribulations and when I was going through those times, not many people made an effort to find me or contact me. Now, it seems like people will go to no end to figure out how to reach me. With that said, people will give up on you but never God…everything is a blessing, even the times you are in the fire.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I have always been a driven person and I grew up watching some great people. I am inspired by numerous things and watch sports, music, and more because I am inspired by greatness in those fields. I have had a lot of people that have guided me along the way and being the idiot that i can be at times, I didn’t always listen. However, I do remember one particular event that has stuck with me all the way into my adult years. One time, I was playing baseball for the police club with Coach Ken Brady. Now at this time, I thought I was ‘the man,’ at times maybe too much. When I was playing, I made a mistake and he sat my butt on the bench as if I was the worst player in the world. I was upset at him for doing that. It wasn’t until he spoke to me a few games later that I realized that my talent was not enough if I wanted to truly be successful. After that conversation, I was no longer mad, but hungry to try to outwork and propel over my competition. It was one of the greatest lessons of my life.
According to Mental Health America’s report, over 44 million Americans have a mental health condition. Yet there’s still a stigma about mental health. Can you share a few reasons you think this is so?
I think so many Americans struggle with mental health because it’s something we still do not fully understand or want to believe that many of us battle with. As humans, we are afraid of things we do not understand. Mental health is not a black or white thing, there are many factors to it that have been portrayed as a sign of weakness. In fact, opening up about mental health is not a sign of weakness and needs to be viewed as a sign of strength. When more individuals open up about their mental health, speak their truth to it, the stigma will fade and individuals will begin to grow and heal.
In your experience, what should a) individuals b) society, and c) the government do to better support people suffering from mental health?
It’s really simple to me. All parties need to provide safe places for people to open up and provide affordable facilities for people to get the help they need. It’s no longer okay for all parties to stop telling people they are fine because they don’t look sick- people do not fake depression, they fake being okay.
What are your 5 strategies you use to promote your own wellbeing and mental wellness? Can you please give a story or example for each?
I often sit and reflect on the past. It can be difficult looking back on where things went wrong, the mistakes that were made, the mental anguish during those times and facing the truth daily. However, once you are able to look back with the right mindset, it really helps to understand and deal with things while continuing to move forward. Prayer and talking to God also helps my wellbeing. I also choose to be vulnerable and talk about my feelings with friends, family and the public and promote that everything is not always perfect at times. Working out and finding ‘me’ time is essential as well, stresses of life and work can sometimes put your own wellbeing on the back burner, even if you can dedicate 15 minutes of alone time. Lastly, I choose to sit still and meditate. It’s important to find balance.
What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a mental health champion?
‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl is a book that really inspires me. I try to read and find stories of people overcoming hardships because it all starts in the mind and helps to relate to others’ power to grow and learn.
If you could tell other people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Greatness is never a one man show and if you really want our society to be great, get to know, respect and appreciate all walks of life.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!
Mental Health Champions: How James DuBose of FOX SOUL Is Helping To Promote Mental Wellness was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.