Weekend Rewind

One of the highlights of my weekend was interviewing these guys. The young men from My View, Simeon Whitten and Ricardo Buchanan from Longview, spent some time with me in the studio this Saturday and shared the purpose and heart behind MyView.

My View is an interview series that highlights ordinary individuals from the great city of Longview, Tx who are doing extraordinary things. The purpose of my view is to share the pride, heart and passion of positive individuals in Longview in hopes of offsetting the negative outlook and press Longview has received over the past couple of years.

The dynamic duo are quite different, as Ricardo Buchanan is a 'tell it like it is' kind of guy, while Simeon Whitten is always careful in his answers. Buchanan has a college degree from Texas Southern University (TSU), and the equally polished Whitten was very clear about his attendance at the school of Youtube. Nonetheless, when the two of these fellas get together to produce a video, magic happens and the outcome is impeccable.

Whitten shared that he was living at his job when he began the My View  movement, which is rapidly gaining momentum throughout East Texas. When I asked him how he kept focus and remained positive during this time, he said, "I woke up and did three things religiously every  morning:: I'd say my prayers, read my Bible, and listen to Hometown Glory by Adele." When Whitten presented the idea to the new TSU alumnus, he was on board, and what they initially thought would be a project to kickoff at a later date, was pushed to the forefront and manifested in March 2016 with their first My View video.

Probably the most surprising and exclusive My View video to-date is the interview of Longview's Street Preacher.  Buchanan said, "We are the first and only people to get an interview with him. He had turned down Longview News Journal and other media outlets, but agreed to an interview with us. Having seen Dexter "The Street Preacher" Landers in action, I was curious to know how that initial conversation went. Whitton said, I caught him as he was walking out of church, and I told him who we were and then I asked him, 'Would you be willing to do an interview with us?' and he said, 'I don't do interviews, but I'll do one with you.'".  And as we all know, the rest is history. That video received 1.6K reactions, 272 comments, 63K views on Facebook.

In closing, I asked what the biggest misconception is about My View. They tag teamed in letting listeners know that they are not some big company, but are a two-man team with two cameras and a lap top only.  "What many people don't know is when I post a My View video at 7 a.m., many times, I've been up from midnight til the time of the post editing and getting it ready to share."  They also dispelled any rumors that they receive payment of any kind to do what they do.

They have truly been a blessing to many in Longview. If you would like to know more about My View, you can find them on Facebook, and of course, on the Hot 107.3 Jamz website.