About Us

OBS has hundreds of members in the Los Angeles area, all across the United States, and around the world. Members come from various backgrounds and range from those  just beginning to pursue their passion for screenwriting to those who are well-established veteran writers working regularly in Hollywood.

Mission Statement

The goal of this non-profit organization is to develop great writers. We desire to empower our members with intense training, hands-on experience, expansive resources and extensive industry exposure. We encourage freedom of expression via quality writing and filmmaking, without compromising the image of people of color.

Officers

Jennifer Williams, President

Writer/Editor/Author and now Producer - Jennifer graduated from CSU, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management but has always had a passion for writing.  Jennifer worked as a freelance journalist for local community newspapers in Los Angeles – she’s served as Editor & Chief and Head Writer for the Coach Ken Carter Foundation Newsletter and Director of the Mentoring Program.  Jennifer’s the author of the book "Coach Carter - The Real-Life Coach Ken Carter Story", as well as one of the script editors for the movie, "Coach Carter" that starred Samuel L. Jackson and was produced by Paramount Studios/MTV Films.  She’s an award winning writer with several works in progress.  Currently, she’s completing her third screenplay and shopping her novel.

Kim Allen, Vice President

Kimberly Allen relocated from Detroit, Michigan in 1998 and became an active member of OBS the following year. Acknowledgement for her writing includes being named semi-finalist in 2002 for the Fox Diversity Writing Program and finalist for the Disney/ABC Screenwriting Fellowship in 2005. Kimberly and her writing partner Zelie-Dember Slack were semi-finalists in the Scriptapalooza International TV Writing Competition and were finalist for the 2007 OBS TV Pilot Competition. In 2008 she was accepted into the Guy Hanks and Marvin Miller Screenwriting Fellowship Program, sponsored by Drs. Bill and Camille Cosby. 

Lisa Bolekaja, 2nd Vice President

Born in Kittery, Maine (the only black baby in the history of that town!), Lisa is a 2008 Blue Cat Screenplay Contest Semi-Finalist and a 2008 Blue Cat Screenplay Lab Finalist with her script "The Midnight Midwife". She is also a 2007 Austin Film Festival Second Rounder, as well as a 2005 Film Independent Fellow with her surreal New Orleans set script “Iko Iko”. Her horror script “Skin” was optioned in 2006. In 2002, Lisa was a Guy Hanks & Marvin Miller Fellow. She wrote the Dance/Drama/Multimedia Presentation The New World Africans for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Teye Sa Thiosanne Drum & Dance Company which was produced by the San Diego Lyceum Theater in 2002. Currently living in Los Angeles, she can be found at Venice Beach on any given weekend walking her Fox Terrier “Ripley”, named after Sigourney Weaver’s character in “Alien”, or, curled up in a lawn chair at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery during the summer watching classic movies on the side of a mausoleum wall. She is a member of the Black Science Fiction Society, The Horror Writers Association, and Film Independent.

Toya Ayala, Treasurer

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 with her Bachelors Degree in Radio, TV and Film, Toya Blackshear Ayala made her way back to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of writing and producing dramas and music variety shows in Hollywood.  Although the doors didn't open up in the producing area, Ayala has been representing A-list writers, directors, actors and musicians for the last 18 years as their Business Manager.   Married with three children, Toya still finds time to write and plans to complete her first romantic novel.

Jasheika James, Secretary

JaSheika James attended the University of Florida, pursuing and obtaining a Bachelors of Science degree in Telecommunications with an emphasis in Television Production. Upon graduating from college, JaSheika was accepted into the ABC Talent Development Production Associate program in Burbank, California. In the year-long position, she was exposed to all aspects of production (Management, Finance, Creative Development, Casting, Business Affairs, etc) working for Production Executives and assisting on various TV series and pilots. When the program concluded, upon recommendation from an ABC Executive, JaSheika went on to work on the hit series Desperate Housewives. She followed that experience working on another critically acclaimed hit, Showtime’s Dexter. Currently, JaSheika works as a Coordinator in Post Production for ABC Studios. She aspires to write for television, hoping to create and develop shows that inspire, motivate, enlighten and entertain.

Angela T. Akins, Assistant Treasurer/Finance Committee Chair

Angela Akins is a graduated of CSU, Fullerton with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts. Angela was a backup writer for Tyler Perry, a finalist for Nickelodeon, and completed the Guy A. Hanks & Marvin Miller Screenwriting Program – Cosby Fellow. She writes and directs and is currently working to complete a solo show.

Emill Shavoz, Financial Secretary