RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) -
A Richmond woman hopes to shatter negative stereotypes of single mothers with a new reality show called the Real Babymamas of Los Angeles.
The upcoming show is not connected to The Real Babymamas of Richmond, a similar show which recently aired on basic cable and YouTube, though the two creators know one another.
Cornelia Gail, known as Ms. V.A. on the show, grew up in Richmond's Mosby Court and is a single-mother. She moved to Los Angeles 18 months ago where she attends film school at Los Angeles Community College. She's currently working to get the show seen on a com#mce_temp_url#munity access channel in L.A. to give people a real look at what it is like to be a single parent.
"I really feel like baby mamas don't have a voice. My goal is to shed light on single parents, because there are 15 million kids in single parent households," explains Gail. " It's an issue nobody wants to address. Every single mother is not ghetto. There are single mothers out there who take care of their kids."
Gail is a single-mother herself with four children from four different fathers. She lived in a homeless shelter in L.A. for a time. However, she prides herself on her successes. She has worked with success in the corporate world for a dozen years and published four books. She aims to make a career from writing and making films and has just one semester left toward completing her filmmaking degree.
She has been shopping the four-minute video in the hopes it gets picked up and has created a website to support the project. She realizes the name, The Real Babymamas of Los Angeles, is controversial and isn't going to let that derail her passion project.
"I would change the name, because a single parent is a single parent. It doesn't matter what you call them," said Gail. "I am a single mother. I've always had a successfully life, because I never taken no for an answer."
The show's theme song, Mamas Business, was created by another Richmond-native. Joe'I Chancellor grew up with Gail and, while she is not a single mother, she also feels the need to set the record straight.
"I see so many different women raising their kids by any means necessary" said Chancellor. It doesn't matter even if you're from the hood. You're still a mother who wants the best for their kids with the help or without the help of your father.
Gail is currently in Richmond, but is working on doing interviews with the press upon her return to Los Angeles. She says even if the show doesn't end up on a network, just working to improve the image of single mothers makes the effort worthwhile.
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