Young, Black And Televised

Teen Author Gabrielle Jordan Pairs with WJLA for Series Featuring Young Scribes 

Bowie native Gabrielle Jordan was just 11-years-old when she penned “The Making of a Young Entrepreneur: A Kid’s Guide to Developing the Mind-Set for Success.” Since then, Jordan’s become a triple threat: author-speaker-entrepreneur.

Now 17, she’s partnered with ABC affiliate WJLA on a month-long series featuring young African-American authors from the DMV. The show airs each Thursday in February during the station’s “Good Morning Washington” show. The first segment, which featured Jordan, can be viewed at WJLA.com. “The young people that we're going to be highlighting this month are amazing young writers that have this focus and have direction in their lives," she said.

Jordan appears to have focus and abundance to spare. In 2013, she co-founded the ExCEL Youth Mentoring Institute, an online platform with a youth bookstore for published authors age 18 and under. Three of those writers will appear in the series.

 For any number of entrepreneurs, teaming up with a top market morning show would be a major accomplishment, but for Jordan it’s just another chapter in her incredible rise. So far, she been featured in a slew of media outlets including Essence, The Huffington Post, Teen Vogue, Black Enterprise, BET and has given a Ted Talk.

Her website features a clip from Harry Connick Jr’s talk show in which he’s clearly enamored with her. “I meet a lot of people in this business,” said Connick an actor and musician. “And every once in a while you meet someone who has superstar charisma.”

Jordan’s talents have been praised by likes of Magic Johnson and former first lady Michelle Obama. 

Seemingly at ease in any setting, Jordan appears confident beyond her years. In another clip from her highlight reel, she encourages an audience to be on guard against their fears.

“You cannot wait for your fears to magically disappear, that doesn’t happen,” she said. “You have to overcome it. That’s the only way you won’t be afraid anymore.”