Dominique M. Carson; Gift of Writing
When it comes to writing about Rhythm and Blues (R&B) or any content regarding African-American entertainment, journalist Dominique M. Carson created her lane with her unique writing skills. Over a decade of writing experiences behind her, Carson interviewed mainstream musicians such as Canadian rapper/singer Drake and historical figures, the Tuskegee airmen, Floyd William Carter, Sr. Carson published her first biography titled: “Jon B: Are You Still Down?” The book focuses on the life behind the 1990s R&B artist Jon B.’s music career and personal experience within the entertainment world.
Before Carson’s journey would take off, she faced many difficult outcomes throughout her personal life. Carson was born and raised in East New York, Brooklyn. From the beginning, Carson realized that she used writing to express herself at a very young age. She used writing to express herself, which allowed her to develop a real passion for her creativity through words as a way to overcome many personal barriers. Her father’s death at the age of one led Carson’s mother, who was 21 years old at Carson’s birth, into single-parenthood. As time went on into Carson’s childhood, she was completely-deaf until the age of four years old. She dealt with this particular obstacle by focusing on her education skills, such as reading more books and figuring out word searches. By the time she was attending elementary school, Carson was excellent in writing and began to enroll in different writing contests. With the help of Carson’s mother’s family, she gained a support team amongst her grandparents and cousins. As time went on, Carson’s grandmother spoke to her about the importance of her unique writing skills.
‘“ I was always carrying around any type of notebook, spiral notebook, or a word puzzle, whether it was big or small. So I did that to learn different words and I would add them in my writing.’ She stated.”
Moving forward into Carson’s adolescent years, she attended Edward R. Murrow High School. During her high school time, Carson decided to be a part of the Poet’s Corner and became a reporter for the school’s newspaper. Edward R. Murrow High School is where she began to push her writing skills to the limit. Through her experience as a reporter in high school, she learned how to conduct reports, while still maintaining the readers’ attention. The Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, Rhonesha Byng, began to be a part of the young protege’s writing journey. Byng saw Carson’s previous written material and decided to guide her into different career opportunities within the journalism field. Finally, towards the middle of Carson’s high school journey, Byng asked her to interview the cast of the cult-classic Canadian TV show “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” Here is where she got a taste of interviewing entertainers like musician Drake (an actor at the time) within the entertainment industry. After her involvement in journalism, Carson’s opportunities as a reporter developed into more blessings.
‘“ It was a lot of different projects that also helped challenge me as a student, I was always well rounded [within different cultures].’ Carson expressed.”
After earning her high school diploma, Carson pursued her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Italian at the City University of New York-Brooklyn College. Throughout her college years, she learned the true meaning behind the word “devotion.” Carson would spend hours studying with her boyfriend’s support (who reconciled with her after graduate school), exploring new words, and learning how to use them in her writing skills. As she transitioned into her graduate school program (Media Studies) at the same university, Carson decided to stay in the journalism field. She was presented with more opportunities while still pursuing her Master’s degree. One of the opportunities involved being a freelance writer for Soultrain.com, where she had another chance to get experience being an entertainment journalist. Carson would listen and review new upcoming R&B artist’s CDs, such as Fantasia Barrino’s album “Side Effects.”
Finally, with two degrees under Carson’s belt, she decided to stay in Brooklyn, New York, and remain as a freelance journalist. Even though Carson was still passionate about writing about African-Americans in entertainment, she faced difficulty in finding a job within the journalism field. Carson later balanced out her 9–5 job (as editorial assistant, communication coordinator, and later on a development assistant) while still being a writer. While maintaining her job, Carson would attend album listening parties and concerts at night. Towards the year 2016, Carson decided to use her hands in a different way this time. She enrolled in Queensborough Community College and earned her Massage License in New York State and Virginia. By 2019, Carson earned her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Massage Therapy, while still being a freelancer. The reason behind her decision in becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist was based on her personal income at the time. Due to having a talent for writing with her hand, it was natural for Carson to put her hands into a therapeutic atmosphere.
‘“ I did that [Massage Therapy] because I was emotionally frustrated with the nature of business [Journalism] terms of employment.’ She stated.”
Altogether Carson’s talent behind her writing developed into more blessings in many different ways. Little did she know, her skills would transition into being a part of her life journey as a jack of all trades. Since Nov. 9, 2020, Carson’s official published book, “Jon B: Are You Still Down?” has been available for purchase on amazon.com. She is currently living in the State of Virginia with her fiance, Jeffrey Carter. She plans to continue her writing journey as a journalist and author with upcoming projects in books and articles regarding pop culture and historical figures in the future.
