welcome to o"our world with black enterprise". this week we sit down with mary mary. plus a new generation of filmmakers make their mark in of films. and final and he wie finally, a dentist who is changing lives one smile at a time. thpá's what's going on in our world starting now.who is chang at a time. that's what's going on in our world starting now. they're not your grandmother's gospel group. mixing a secular

relink yus lyrics. talk about music, family and faith. thanks so much for spending sáát time with me today. you all have spent the last two years basically at the top of the world. you won grammys, you won image award, you performed at the white house. how are you feeling right now? >> fee&ing pretty good. >> pretty wonderful actually. very blessed to be able to do some of the things that you dream of doing. to be able to go and sing for barack obama. to be invited by stevie wonder to sing for barack obama and it was awesome because we were very much involved in campaigning for them. it was just awesome. you do what comes fros your heart and what you love. to be rewarded and applauded by

people that are just wonderful, it's amazing. a blessing. >> what's so interesting about you two is you all finish each other's sentences. you all seem more like twins than sisters who are two years >> my mom says that we're twins born two years apart. >> when you say you do it your way, some secular influences in áhere, i've heard of people who have been in clubs and they hear some of your music sometimes. >> sure. >> we make music for the world. >> our perspective on christian life may be a little bit did different. my dad did a lot of prison ministry and a rough neighborhood, but my dad's position was always to share with them. he would instruct and encourage and laugh with them, but he would definitely give them god but in a way that made sense to them. so that's how it translated to us. so when we do our brand of

gospel, it has those same elements. whereas a regular person across out church but stand outside and listen to the music, i get that. so i want to make music for the person who has been so bruised puntil it's repaired, you can listen and keep you connected until you get over whatever that hump is. ♪ >> you all see your work as ministering to people? >> absolutely. >> we didn't at first. initially we just not we were singing. and then you meet people and at the they tell you how your music

help you through. i met a woman who was wrongfully imprisoned for ten years and she said it was the only thing that kept me sane. get out and meet us some day. it blew me away. maybe i don't quote the bible, but that's ministry. >> you are on columbia records. you're performing at the grammy awards and american music awards. so you have all these secular worldly influences around you all the time. does that chip away at your faith? >> if this is what god placed you to do, do you. you don't have to try to be something that you aren't. o make something happen. you continue to practice and polish what it is you do, but if that's what we were placed here to do to make music for the world but share our faith, that's what it's going to be. so we just continued in the

vein. do we want to be on a t e on ta magazine in magazine? no. will i sacrifice what i believe for more tours? not at all. i'm so content and happy being me. when the door is supposed to be opened, it will and i will walk through as erica. we'll walk through as mary mary. "s >> i love the new album. i've been listening and i'm getting jealous. te&l me about it. >> coming spring 2011. and it's just a collection of songs that i think is the next stage. like if you heard the last

album, this is the next stage. and this song is about you who you live your life. it's about how do you walk through life. actually our single walking, there's a line that says what does my life say about me. ♪ >> how do you see the current gospel scene? >> almost like a body about that there are people who are like the arms and than hands and so reach farther. and then there are the praise and worship choirs. and we all do different thing and we all make up the body of gospel music. and we support each other a lot and talk to each other and there's account ability and all that kind of stuff. i love donny. don'y helped us stay focused.ab that kind of stuff. i love donny. donny helped us stay focused.

there was a point where we felt like maybe we should do more gospel stuff so they know we're true on this. and we sang at this church and after service, he said what are you guys doing? what are you talking about? be out will. i don't fit out there. you do. he said but you go out there and they'll play your music in the clubs and it will direct them to you and to the church and to jesus. but he said we need stair stepping and we a&l sit on the how we all move forward. assigns the information does kind of bother you. >> i'm sure it hurts. >> once your music becomes popular, oh, you're not keeping it real. you're not true to whateve it is. how is that? because someone other than people like you and me, like my music all of a sudden? it's not true? and we had to change our perspective. from you fr.

if about we wanted to be something other than who we are, do we have that option? is will this whatthis what's in? yes. be content with that. you can't make everybody believe. you can't make everybody think i'm aligned with you. you just do what you do and yo do it from your heart. ♪ after the where he, the push to get independent black films in theaters. >> movies since the beginning of their existence have shaped the view of people on societies and of cultures and have ha" so many impact on life in general.

i'm .

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uninsured and struggling. >> call the partnership for prescription assistance toll-free number now. the ppa team is standing by to help. >> hey, you know i was just kidding about them three championships. an established group of black filmmakers and producers is taking bold steps to get their movie to the big screen. joining me are some of these filmmakers. thank you all for joining me. this is a lot of talk about black filmmakers and black s

cinema. what do you make of what's going on right now? >> i think we're at a great place right now. given the accessibility to our audience which we did not have before, a large issue with pfilm., a large issue with ten years ago, could yyou could market it through billboards and trailers. now a days you can literally get to anyone online. p'd that's huge. the social marketing thing is huge. we've used it for our film, facebook, twitter, the whole nine. and i think it's going to be a game changer. and it already has been. >> why is jason acting so crazy? >> getting revenge. >> revenge on who? who are you talking about? >> you honestly think you can come into my country and kill my feel and get away with it?

>> are people more interested in black film now than before? >> i don't think more are interested. getting to people and i think there's more conversation about these films. so i think that the audience is there and i t$ink it's sort of maybe in a way i think it's allowing itself to be heard. >> you, of all people, lecturing me on commitment. where you been, marcus? all will time, where did you go? >> it must beñnice to just come in and out, pack only what you can take in that little black bag of yours. if you want to have a say about how things go around here, that's available. but you have to stay. >> one of the reasons why people are i think recognizing that

black people go to films again is because of the success of people like tyler perry, for example. hisf his films have brought a whole new audience to the theaters. is it surprising to the world that black people go to movies? >> i don't know how it can be@ & surprising. abo i think there is so much research that disproportionately audiences of color are definitely theater goers.i thin research that disproportionately audiences of color are definitely theater goers. they're regularly going. it's just what films are they going to see. >> 25% of people that go to films a)e african-american. that makes up the 5% of the these atry cal film market.ñ& and that's to see all kinds of movies.25% of the these atry cal film market. and that's to see all kinds of movies. >> why aren't we represented there the same as we are in sports? >> i think that there's a dollar

and i think the key really ends up being distribution and how do you reach a lot of people, how do you get them talking about your film. and it's also how do you reeducate people in a way to kind of watch different kinds of films. >> those are two really important points. the first one you mentioned is this idea of distribution. and getting studios to recognize the value of black film and black audiences. again, if we go to the theater, why don't we see that, why are they pouncing on this the same way they do hip hop music or football players or basketball players? >> one thing i'd like to stay is recognize the value. but it's also how do filmmakers individually and collectively empower themselves so they don't have to rely on studios. we're creating our own models that are sustainable in the marketplace that how our films to reach our audiences and tell

our stories. so i think it's getting people to think outside of the traditional parameters and constraints oftentimes that studios will put on our content when it goes through their controls, their vehicles in order to hit the market place. >> what do you say to those folk, and there are plenty out there, who will say black folk don't want sophisticated content? the reason why big mama's house would be successful is because that's the kind of stuff black people want to see. when it comes to black audiences, they want something very particular and r'dependent filming doesn't have. >> i think people want to see e rener reflections of themselves. people don't want to participate in the rest of the world and talk about politics and culture and religion and all the things that affect us in our daily lives. i just think it has to be put out there and it has to be packaged in a way that it is accessible. >> i know part of what you do is create space for artists to have their films shown and to have ways to getting a says.

how do we get over the hump, how do we get the masses to recognize the value of independent films? >> one of the things that you're ban world is doing a we're part of a movement called affirm, the african-america' film festival releasing movement. and essentially it is a new distribution model. essentially amc independent is going to on march 11th open a film that will be the pilot of this new program. >> i'm first generation. >> clearly. >> i'm what would be termed an old g. >> and we'll have national we'll have local public list fp so in five market, new york, l.a., seattle, atlanta, philadq&phia, they've identified a film festival who will do that on the ground, grass roots movement. and really drive awareness and promotion. set this up so that people can

see that when you have a film in theaters, you're going to get that national exposure. the star will do national publicity whether on rachael ray, whether tom joiner, really driving that mass awareness. >> is there a particular responsibility that you all feel as black independent filmmakers to make black films? what if you just want to write something about 13th century england and shoot that? do you feel like you're betraying your opportunity as black filmmakers? >> i wouldn't. i make films about what's important to me. i feel as a filmmaker, yes, it is sv responsibility to put content out there because movies su since the beginning of their existence hp+e shaped the view of people on societies and of cultures and have had so much impact on life in general. and i feel, yes, as a filmmaker, i do have responsibility to make

content that says something. >> ton thank you all so much for being here. up next, a unique dentist who is improving the lives of low income residents. stay with us. . it's so enriching when you give back. you give from the heart and you out of that. with your mortgage,

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being met every year when he offers free dental care on 7rtin luther king's birth day. >> i started my practice in 1998, so on that first martin luther king day, there was a family that had some needs in my office. i said come by on martin luther king day, i'll come this. so it kind of grew from one family. and i said, again, as a dentist, what is the best way i can give back and the best way i can give back is with what i'm trained to do. >> he said when he accepted hishi hisdy l hisdydy proceed in a, he was never going to leave anybody in discomfort. and that was the truth. the african proverb it takes a whole village. >> community has whu my entire life helped me to get through some challenging times. and so part of what i'd like to do here is just make a thank yo&

back to people because i have been able to be successful as a dentist. thank you for making the time to come in. i know you're busy. it's so enriching when you give back. when you give from the heartñand you see the experiences that come out of that. >> giving is something this doctor does freely without hesitation or reservation. >> they don't turn you away it at the door. you almost become a family and they treat you that way. >> what we i think can do is recognize that there something that we can do in a few minutes really makes a big difference in someone's life. >> i think he's a role model by letting his feelings and love for people be the important thing. >> we have a few thousand patients that consider us their dentist and that's an honor and a privilege. so i just say this is a wave giving back and saying thank you to all those people.q rñ and we.

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that does it here on our world. don't for get to visit us online at blackenterprise.com. check me out on facebook or follow me on twitter. thank you for watching. see you next week.