mimimala173
1 Reviews
Broadcasting
5.0/ 5
This interview was fire! Very entertaining and knowledgeable..
“We control the media. The media does not control us.” – Mimi Mala
Gem story was written by: Marcus Mulenga
If you want to know where Mimi’s story begins, you’ve got to start up in Long Island (a.k.a. Strong Island!). As a “military brat”, discipline was one of the fundamental values she was raised upon; that upbringing, along with putting God first and relying on the tremendous amount of support from her huge family, has helped her to succeed in whatever endeavors she has taken on in life. At the young age of 13, she stepped into the entertainment world via the John Casablancas Modeling and Acting Agency, and she’s been entertaining ever since. Early on, her parents acted as her agents in order to keep Mimi safe from the manipulation, and false promises, and then use what she would be exposed to in this new environment. This was a key reason why they strongly advised her to stay away from reality TV. And so even when she got an offer at 21 to be in Bad Girls Club, their advice helped her to decline that invitation. With the family now in Florida (they moved from Long Island when Mimi was 18, as it was getting too expensive to live there), she would come across other opportunities that were actually meant for her.
What eventually got her into broadcasting was an online Spanish radio show. Listening to, and eventually working with the show, helped her to learn a lot, and the experience opened her eyes to a new platform of entertainment that she really vibed with. In time her friend Chester known as the “Prince of the South”, connected her to Peace on the Streets, an independent radio show on a mainstream broadcasting station that has been around for 35 years. Creativity flows freely here, and their open idea policy is on full display every time you see that fresh black and neon green logo. It was actually created by a couple of interns who are now permanent team members. The group truly works as a cohesive unit, and together their aim is to reach out to the younger generation to keep them flowing and to ensure that they learn, not just how to create their own content, but also how to own their own content.
To accomplish this, they have partnered with Prince of the South in nonprofit work to donate food and clothes to the community, while at the same time exposing youths to the idea of becoming future business owners and entrepreneurs. Mimi is extremely proud of the fact that at Peace on the Streets, “we control the media. The media does not control us.” In her first year as a radio host, she received much recognition, including winning the Best Host award and being named one of the most influential women of Orlando in 2018. She is also a three-time Stella Award winner. But all this success hasn’t gone to her head. As stated in her own words, “I don’t care about fame or riches. I just want to be able to make a positive movement and help make positive changes in our world.”
Even though the world changed during the pandemic, Peace on the Streets’ mission to help foster connections within the community remained the same. In fact, Orange County and the city of Orlando reached out to Peace on the Streets to provide street-level coverage on what the city was doing in response to COVID. Of course, they still had to scale back on the in-person events, but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After working intensely over the last 3 years, even to the point of being sick, the pandemic was a great time for the entire team at Peace on the Streets to reflect, calm down, focus on the news, and release what’s going on in the city.
If Mimi could go back in time and give advice to her younger self, she would emphasize that you don’t have to accept opportunities that aren’t meant for you. If you ever have to second guess something, then it isn’t meant to be, and that’s ok. Many people have reached out to her and related the depression that they are going through due to the lack of connection with their loved ones. To anyone who can relate, Mimi encourages you not to give up hope, because eventually, you will find your way. If the way you used to connect with people is no longer available, just find another way! Two ways Mimi stays connected and grounded are through her children and through music. Her three boys, a set of twins and a “singleton”, are very polite, but they are also a handful! And when it comes to music, she is a hip-hop head with New York roots, so you already know she’s bumping Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and the late DMX through her headphones! Another way Mimi stays locked in is by focusing on maximizing her talents to the best of her ability. In her opinion, “the saddest thing is wasted talent. Don’t waste the gift that God has given you. Go full force and never let fear or intimidation stop you.”
In many ways, Peace on the Streets is similar to Mom & Pop Gems. They just manifest their mission over a different platform. Mimi has big goals for the future. Not content with only being a Gem in the Orlando area, she has plans to help Peace on the Streets go international. There is even the possibility of branching out into reality TV! But don’t worry parents; she may not have been ready for it in the past, but with everything she knows about the industry now, she’ll be fine! Eventually, she would love to own her very own studio, with separate rooms for different things like radio broadcasting, web design, etc. For now, you can listen to Peace on the Streets Radio every Wednesday from 9-11 PM EST on 1680 AM/FM or online at wokbradio.com. You’ll definitely want to stay tuned in to this Gem!
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