The Miss Sweet Potato Pie, Inc. Enterprise is the “brain child” of Dianne Snowden-Johnson. The Enterprise is comprised of a Dance Studio and Performing Arts Center with its lead actor, the Child-friendly Character — Miss Sweet Potato Pie. In 1998, Dianne decided to launch the character after watching an episode of Oprah on following your dreams. She said to find out your passion and write it down and follow it. She wrote it down next to her favourite scripture Habakkuk 2:2:3 “And the Lord answered me, and, said, Write the vision, make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. The name combines her paternal grandmother’s nickname “Sweet” and the fond memory of her maternal grandmother who taught her to make sweet potato pies.
Interviewer -Wow, sounds good, where would you do this Dianne, do you travel outside to Monroe County or this specific to Rochester?
Miss Sweet Potato Pie – Well we are housed at Rochester but we are trying to go nationwide. We travel, we have been to Atlanta, Ithaca, Buffalo, and Syracuse and I speak as Sweet Potato Pie. Right now we are trying to get a whole kids concept and have a Miss Sweet Potato kid’s production (television show) coming out of Rochester, New York. I don’t think there is one in here. I haven’t seen any one launched from here. We love Rochester.
Interviewer – So your enterprise services the community in quite a few ways right now?
Miss Sweet – Oh Yes, I am also school teacher. I have a masters of education. At the same time, my passion is that. I love doing what I do – being a teacher in a kid’s show as Sweet Potato Pie.
Interviewer -Wonderful, as far as the production and your enterprise what are the ages of young people involved?
Miss Sweet – Believe it or not, the age range is as young as preschool through early twenties.
Interviewer –Miss Sweet Potato Pie is known to generate some very robust and spirited young people. I’m guessing who like yourself set their sights on follow their dreams. Share with us, is there one particular youth that started with you some years back which you can share where have they gone how their dreams have brought differentiation for them?
When you think of Miss Sweet Potato Pie is a person who inspires kids to follow their dreams. I am actually an alumnus of one of the first graduating classes from the School of the Arts when it was located on Genesee Street. Art is my thing. I just love the arts. Whenever I interact with kids I encourage them to follow their dreams, to be whatever they want to be – that drives me.
I have worked with many kids but one I recall is about 20 years old now, Timothy Mitchum. The first time I saw him was at a school talent show performing to James Brown. He was about 5 years old then attending school #58 and I was looking for talent for my kids show. I approached his parents asking them if he could be in my kids show. (At that time the) Miss Sweet Potato Pie Show came on early mornings on the WB channel. Timothy made is very first television appearance on our show. After the show his parents sent me a testimonial letter mentioning that Timothy had wanted to be on television. The Miss Sweet Potato Pie Show was his first television appearance and has since become a (Rochester) legend. Recently he was part of the WDKX 40th anniversary celebration and has appeared at the Apollo, the Grammy awards and various TV shows. I am grateful for being the vehicle God used for Timothy, that I was a stepping stone for his career.
Timothy is truly one of our poster children, one of our hall of famers. Our new kids show is called “Miss Sweet Potato Pie’s Hall of Fame” talent show. Timothy’s picture will definitely be on the wall of fame. Timothy actually performed at our show last month. During our May 16 show, we will present him with a plaque and induct him as one of our Hall of Fame Legends. Letting the other kids know that if you have a talent you need to showcase it. You need to let other people see it. Even if they start off doing small shows, it encourages you and prepares you for the ‘big time’. There are a lot of kids who have worked with us have ‘made it’. Timothy is one that is may be to most familiar to your readers.
Dianne Snowden-Johnson’s love of working with children and entrepreneurial spirit was fostered while working within the Snowden Family Daycare. Soon she established in-home daycare services; using the Miss Sweet Potato Pie name. In 1998, encouraged by Norman “Jazzbo“ Strothers, she joined the small rank of African American Clowns in Rochester, NY assuming the name “Miss Sweet Potato Pie. She has been entertaining children from more than 20 years; instilling the importance of arts-in-education through an African-American centered theme. Miss Sweet Potato Pie became a standard entertainer throughout local school districts, an afternoon self-produced TV program “Miss Sweet Potato Pie Talent Showcase”, Kid’s Fashion Shows, as well as skating and birthday parties. These shows and events not only launched the career of Dianne Snowden Johnson, among Miss Sweet Potato Pie’s Soulfood Babies local entertainment notables Timothy Mitchum, Anthony “Q” and Jleron.
Interviewer -Wonderful, now have you have mentioned other children and I am sure there are many more who can gain some good skills and knowledge by spending some time with you. Can you share with us, is there something interesting coming up or did we miss out on something?
Miss Sweet –We are auditioning for our new monthly kid’s show. We restarted our shows last month (April). We had a kid’s show years ago and we are back to producing that show. We stopped production because I was encouraged by someone in the production business to stop the show until I had more money to increase the quality of our production. I stopped the show. I left it alone and returned to school to get my master’s in education and redirected my business efforts. The show was running great until my path was redirected. Recently, my kids (my biological children) suggested and encouraged me to return to producing the show. It has been nearly ten years since we stopped production. Since I listened to the advice of someone that suggested I stop my dream. I don’t want that to happen to my kids. I am going back and doing this again. We are going to take this worldwide.
Our first show was last month; we have nine shows planned between now and November. In November, we will have a big finale show. Children come onto our show to showcase their talent. Each show has 2 winners – one small kid (youth) and one big kid (teen-young adult). All winners will compete in the finale. Every month they come back to compete. They know they will network, learn from others, and be taught the things they should know (about the business). People attend from all over the state: Westchester, Buffalo, Rochester, and Ithaca. I network with people in the surrounding area to see these kids. We are not in New York City so we are not at the Apollo. I want to give these kids an avenue to be seen. There are no big promoters coming here to see these kids. There is talent in the inner city who cannot afford to get to New York City. These talented kids are in our neighbourhoods whose parents cannot afford to take them to these places. I want to use Miss Sweet Potato Pie to make these things happen.
Interviewer – We have some young people’s parents who need to knowwhere to go, what to do, what age range and how can they get these young people involved in these ongoing auditions for your series that’s going to be taking on soon?
Miss Sweet –You can find us on Facebook under Miss Sweet Potato Pie, you can also post on Instagram which is also Miss Sweet Potato Pie, You can contact me through my email which is info@misssweetpotatopie.com, or you can give me a call on 585.527.0655. I want to get back in to commercials; I am trying all different avenues to reach our kids. Using different vehicles to get information to the schools, kids and try to help spread the word out.
Interviewer -I thank you for the part you are doing, I believe that many parents out there whose children are already touched and there is going to be many more. I thank you very much for taking time out of your busy day to share this information with us and I look forward to see one of your presentation myself when is your next event.
Miss Sweet –Our event schedule is May 16 at East High School at 7 p.m., June 14 at School of the Arts and July back to East High School. Tickets are $10.
Timothy T. Mitchum is an American actor and singer. Mitchum performed the Beatles song “Let It Be” in the 2007 film Across the Universe, which he performed together with Carol Woods.
In 2003, Mitchum attended Best New Talent in LA, and landed the role as the lion prince Simba in The Lion King. He played the role as Simba for 13 months. He also appeared at the New York Metro Fest for Beatles fans and performed Let It Be alongside the Beatles tribute band Liverpool. He also premiered in August Rush with Robin Williams and Terrence Howard.
In February 2008 Mitchum performed “Let It Be” at the Grammys and appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. After the Grammys, Mitchum met with Stevie Wonder and together they performed “For Once in My Life” on their harmonicas.
Timothy is currently attending The State University of New York at Fredonia’s School of Music. He is also a member of SUNY Fredonia’s Weapons of Jazz.
Dianne Snowden-Johnson is actively engaged in her life’s mission: “to be a positive force in the lives of American youth through Arts and Education”. By day, she is a teacher within the Rochester City School and all other waking hours she is Miss Sweet Potato Pie. Snowden-Johnson professes: “I have a God-given talent to be able to pinpoint the unique talents of children, as soon as I meet them. Being Miss Sweet Potato Pie is my life-long passion. At the end of the day, it is what I love. I wouldn’t want to do anything else in the world.
By Cookie Waller
