Meet Weemagine Co-Founders, Rick and Faye McCray and learn more about them and what inspired them to create Weemagine.
Q. Tell us a little bit about yourselves.
Faye: I’m originally from Queens, New York. I currently reside in the D.C. Metro Area. My parents divorced when I was a kid so I was primarily raised by my mom. I was raised with two phenomenal older brothers. One of which became my angel in 2009. I was the first of my siblings to go to college and as far as know, the first law school graduate in my family (though I’m sure this new generation of kids in my family will far surpass me). My parents were married young but they both went back to school as adults which has always been a tremendous source of inspiration for me. I went to an HBCU for law school and majority institution for undergrad. I am a devoted wife and mom. I also work full time as an attorney, and I am also a published author. In my spare time, I love to ride my bike, have brunch, and throw impromptu dance parties with my kids.
Rick: I’m originally from North Carolina. My folks also divorced when I was young, but interestingly enough they remarried each other and moved back in together when my sister and I were attending college. My mother raised my younger sister and me. My father unexpectedly passed away in mid-2016. Both of my parents went to HBCUs and like Faye and I, they met at Howard University School of Law. I love reading, specifically historical biographies of business people. I love anything involving real estate. I also love watching inspirational videos on YouTube.
Q. Where did you meet? How long have you been married?
Faye: Rick and I met our first year of law school at Howard University School of Law. We officially met at a birthday party of a mutual friend but I always tease him that he introduced himself to me (and all the girls) in the library before then. We have been together 13 years and married for 10.
Rick: Our first date was to the final Matrix movie. It was great because my wife, (then girl I was trying to date), was driving and we got lost. I got to practice some of my best humor on her, which is obviously why she fell in love with me! We both agreed how bad the movie was so we bonded over that and by the end of the movie, we wanted to see more of each other. On a side note, our date almost never happened. My wife thought I was very weird and tried to get every friend she could think of to go on the date with her, like a dang chaperone! Thankfully, all of her girlfriends said no and she was forced to enjoy my company by herself.
Q. How many children do you have?
Rick: We have two boys and another baby boy due in November 2016.
Faye: This is a rainbow baby for us. We had a miscarriage in December 2015 so this baby and pregnancy has been an absolute blessing.
“We wanted to provide positive and helpful information, everyday, that would help other parents inspire their children no matter what was going on in the outside world. It is something that we were seeking that we didn’t see enough of. We decided to provide it because we knew if we were looking for it, other parents were too.”
Q. Why did you start Weemagine?
Rick: We started Weemagine because we wanted a place that was specifically catering to parents of children of color. We wanted to provide positive and helpful information, everyday, that would help other parents inspire their children no matter what was going on in the outside world. It is something that we were seeking that we didn’t see enough of. We decided to provide it because we knew if we were looking for it, other parents were too.
Faye: Well, my reason is probably more emotional. As a mother of brown boys, I was afraid. I am afraid. Every video, shooting, arrest, and acquittal was hitting me emotionally. I felt like I was drowning. I wanted to be part of the solution. Weemagine began as a Facebook group called Celebrating Black Boys. The group was primarily friends and friends of friends looking to celebrate our beautiful sons. We would share pictures and good news. We created a Facebook page shortly after to allow other people to share their stories. We started digging through the news to bring positive stories of black boys and men to inspire our growing community. Weemagine launched in 2016 as a part of a bigger mission to celebrate and inspire all of our children and the people who love them. We couldn’t escape that moms of little girls were feeling the burden too. We wanted to unite as a community.
Q. What does the name Weemagine mean?
Rick: To me, it means creating the world as we want to see it. It means a place where our children are safe, creative, fun and celebrated. It is a collective feeling of “this is our space to enjoy.”
Faye: It’s also a play on the words “We” and “Imagine”. The extra “e” is because our goal has always been the babies! “Wee” means little.
Q. Why now?
Rick: Why not now? We see negative imagery all the time, and we rarely see solutions. We feel like our site is our way of showing solutions. It shows parents how to live in this moment empowered and compassionate.
Faye: I agree. We need sites like Weemagine now. We are such a resilient, spirited people. I think once we have solutions, we work towards them. This is just one small solution. Let’s love our babies. Let’s raise them to be proud and strong. Let’s work together to find inspiration and positivity.
Q. Who do you hope to reach?
Rick: I want to reach young mothers and fathers who are afraid for their children. I’d like to reach grandparents who are raising grandchildren who want to know how to relate to this generation. I want to reach anyone who is seeking solutions and ways to make the environment better for children in our society.
Faye: Right. Our goal has always been to celebrate and inspire the babies. That necessarily involves inspiring parents and other people who love and have access to them.
“We are such a resilient, spirited people. I think once we have solutions, we work towards them. This is just one small solution. Let’s love our babies. Let’s raise them to be proud and strong. Let’s work together to find inspiration and positivity.”
Q. As a mother, what do you hope to bring to Weemagine?
Faye: I have been a mom for nine years. I am by no means a veteran but I am proud of the experience and knowledge I have gained. I hope I inspire conversation. I want to be honest about what has worked for me but also my shortcomings as a parent. Also, as a woman, I am incredibly inspired by other women. I hope to bring stories of moms overcoming obstacles, trusting their intuition, and giving their babies the best life they can.
Q. As a father, what do you hope to bring to Weemagine?
Rick: I want to bring a positive male perspective. I want to show a black father who is 100% there for his kids and doesn’t just discipline but loves. That’s my reality and that’s the reality for guys I know.
Q. What are your short term goals?
Rick: We want to increase our viewership, continue to put out great content, and get the word out. There are more people that don’t know that we exist than do. There is a huge opportunity for growth.
Q. What are your long term goals?
Faye: Certainly to spread positivity to a larger audience. I’d like to spread our content throughout social media, including videos. I’d like to meet more people and share their stories. As an author, I’d also like Weemagine to play a role in spreading diverse literature, whether its original content or as a resource for finding positive images of our children.
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About The Author
Faye McCray is an
attorney by day and writer all the time. Her work has been featured on My Brown Baby, AfroPunk, AfroNews, For Harriet, Madame Noire, Black Girl Nerds, Black and Married with Kids, and other popular publications. Faye also has a number of short stories and a full length novel available for purchase on Amazon. Most importantly, Faye is a proud wife and mother to three beautiful and talented young boys who she is fiercely passionate about raising. You can find Faye on Twitter @fayewrites and on the web at fayemccray.com.
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