Actress, singer, author Makeda Tené spreading message of encouragement and empowerment with new books and publishing company
WJBF – Actress, singer, mom-ager, author, and now publisher, Makeda Tené is taking all of the lessons instilled in her from her humble beginnings at the Augusta Mini Theatre and Davidson Fine Arts School and is using them to help others make turn their dreams into reality.
Welcome to Celebrating Black Excellence. How did you get started with acting and the entertainment business?
I started at the Augusta Mini Theatre when I was very young. My uncle is Tyrone J. Butler. He’s the founder director of the Augusta Mini Theatre, and also, I went to a Davidson Fine Arts School. So, you know, that was just wonderful foundation for me. So, through the Augusta Mini Theatre and Davidson Fine Arts, I got my start, and now I’m in Hollywood doing the thing.
So, how was that being a part of the Augusta Mini Theatre with Tyrone Butler being your uncle?
You know what? A lot of people always thought that we would get a pass because we were related to Tyrone Butler, but actually, it was the opposite. He encouraged us to go higher, and he did not go easy on us at all. If anything, it was probably a little tough, and I think that probably allowed me to even get to where I am today. Even as I’m pushing my son, Innocent, to encourage him to go higher and higher, I think that was the great foundation to let us know that you don’t get free passes in life, and even if you do, so what? You need to keep working so that you can strive to be as excellent as you can be.
CBE365: Speak Out with Miss Mai
So, speaking as an alum, how important is the Augusta Mini Theatre to the city of Augusta even from your vantage point being in Los Angeles?
First of all, thank you so much for always spotlighting and highlighting the Augusta Mini Theater and the importance that the Augusta Mini Theatre has brought to this community. I feel that so many of us, who have gotten our foundation there, take it on and to whatever we’re doing in life. I actually saw Shay Roundtree last week; he’s living in Los Angeles, too. He’s an actor. Just to see even how he operates in that excellence, and we can always say, “You know what? You remember when Mrs. [Judith Simon] Butler was teaching us and had us pronounce our words correctly, and we couldn’t sidestep on anything?” I think all of us have that level of excellence, so that no matter what ever we do, we’re going to always strive. So, I believe that that has given all of us the foundation. Even Damien Sneed, as you know, he was there with the Augusta Mini Theatre. So, I feel that because we had our foundation here, we take it into our lives, and it’s the integrity that they instilled in us – the moral compass – just to always do your best, and to know that even when no one’s looking, you still have to be awesome and excellent because that is the highest level of integrity.
Now, you mentioned your son, Innocent. So, how did you first of all, how did he get started with acting?
Well, at three years old, you know, he’s always seeing me on the stage, and I would let him sometimes come on stage with me and maybe introduce me. So he said, “Mom, I want to do acting.” I said, “You want to do what?” “I want to be an actor.” I said, “You sure? Do I even have the stamina or the energy to do this?” But I allowed him to do it. At five years old, he got his first leading role. We were off to New York. He was starring in Little America on Apple TV, and he’s just turned ten. So, yeah, he’s doing wonderful. He’s doing excellent. When he comes to visit the Augusta Mini Theatre, I let him see, like, “This is where your mother got her start, and so, this is also where you got your start because what I’m teaching you and instilling in you, this is all from the past.” So, he has a great appreciation also when he comes back to know, like, “This is our foundation, and we’re not going to steer from this.”
Which also inspired your book, because you are a momager, which is titled, My Kid Wants To Be An Actor; Now What? Can talk briefly about the book?
So, My Kid Wants To Be An Actor; Now What? came about because even though, I’m an adult in this industry, a lot of people I understood were not really understanding how to get their children in the industry. They had so many questions. They didn’t know how to, or what it was about. So, I had so many questions. Even when I was on set, even I checked my Instagram and my Facebook, people are are asking me questions. So, it got to a point where I couldn’t respond to everybody. So I said, “Let me just put it in this one book,” and this is only the first version of the book. We’re going to probably have a couple more about different aspects of the business, but it’s helped a lot of people. A lot of people have emailed me back, or said, “You know what? I didn’t even know that the basics was like it was.” So, I did this to help the people just so that even some of the pitfalls that maybe we kind of saw or came across it, they wouldn’t have to. So, I always try to use my knowledge to inspire and encourage. So, that’s where this book came about with a lot of my friends wanted to get in, and they just didn’t know how.
ALSO ON WJBF: Fashion Designer Rob McKiver shows the world The Gent’s Life
So, you have your own publishing company now: Prime Pace Publishing. What inspired you to start your own publishing company?
Well, again, people were asking me, “How do you write?” I mean, at the Augusta Mini Theatre, as well, we were taught that it’s holistic. You don’t just like you constantly. I think it’s so important for people to know that with the talents that you have, you can do whatever you need to do to the highest level of excellence. Sometimes people will say, “No, just pick one thing.” Says who? Why do you have to do that? If God has gifted you with all of these talents, why not? And so of course, I do screenwriting, too, because I’m an actress. So, a lot of times, we do our own projects, and my one woman show. I’ve written my own show because I didn’t want to wait for Hollywood to write one for me. So, my publishing company, Prime Pace Publishing, came about a couple of years ago, and actually, it’s really taking off now. We have great staff of writers and publishers, who will also help you to write your book, you know. So, some people want to get their story out, but they have no clue how to. I have about five or six published authors in my family, so, I think it just came naturally. So what Prime Pace Publishing does is help you to do what you may not have been able to do in 6 to 6 months to a year, you can get it done in 30 to 60 to 90 days.
So you have two books, but one book with two different versions: She Wrote History: The Stories Of Black Women Who Changed The World and Big Dreams Changed The World. What inspired both books?
Toni Morrison once said that, “If there’s a book out there that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written, you have to write it.” So, during Black History Month, usually as a performing artist, I would do – and I still do – a lot of concerts. My whole thing for Black History Month is that I love African-American spirituals, and I always look forward to it because it’s like, “Hey, this is my opportunity to do all of my concerts.” This year, something just got in my spirit and said, “I don’t know. I just want to do something different to honor Black History Month,” because the majority of the world, we only celebrate it during the month of February. So, I started working on two series of books. It’s called She Wrote History. I want it to read more about amazing Black women who changed the world. I wanted to read more about Michelle Obama, Sojourner Truth, Maya Angelou, Bessie Coleman, etc. I wanted to see it in one compilation, you know. I wanted Innocent and other kids to have a place where they could just go and just flip through and say, “Okay, let me check out 10 to 15 women at once to see what they’ve done.” So, that actually encouraged me during Black History Month to write these two books. Then, of course, as I see your platform 365, we don’t have to just do it in one month, right? So I’m going to be encouraging and promoting this 366 days this year also.
How can people get those books?
Well, you can get those books on Amazon.com right now, and they will be available very soon on Audible within the next 30 days. So, if you have Kindle, you can read it for free. Go to Kindle and check out She Wrote History: The Stories of Black Women Who Changed The World, and for the kiddos ages 7 to 13, check out Big Dreams Changed The World to encourage the kids that they not only can dream big, but they can do bigger.
So what’s next for you that you can discuss?
What I can discuss? Well, I can discuss that. I am working on a project… in Los Angeles… a television show… that I created. (Laughs)
What inspiring words or words of encouragement can you give someone who maybe watching right now?
For someone who’s watching it, I just want to let you know, don’t try to fit yourself in a box that someone else is putting you in because more than likely, that box that they’re trying to put you in, you can’t fit in there because your dreams are too magnificent. Your vision is bigger than what someone may have anticipated for you. You know, I’m from Augusta, Georgia, but look what we’re doing. So, no matter where you start, whether you start from a small city or even a bigger city like Los Angeles, whatever is in you, continue to do what you need to do and know that you don’t ever have to listen to what people are saying that you can or cannot do because if you’ve been given that vision, you need to go out there and you need to execute it with excellence.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
