Where is Celie Now?

Ever wonder what became of the young Celie from the movie, The Color Purple?

She was touted as the "ugly" sister with the unruly plaits, but now she's a beautiful woman with a spirit to match. Her name is Desreta Jackson and she is a successful entrepreneur. She's the founder of Mahogany Mane Inc., a real estate development company with some very innovative ideas and services.

Not only is her story inspirational, but she offers very valuable and much needed services to those who would otherwise fall between the cracks.

Her story:

Three years ago, Mahogany Mane had its start when its founder left her lucrative day job to begin her home based hair braiding business. While working at home, she marketed herself as not your run-of-the-mill home based business, but a large company offering professional one-on-one attention. She found herself immersed in the study of hair, offering homemade remedies for her clients.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

With capital from Mahogany Mane's hair styling business, Desreta used her negotiation and management skills to buy properties, refurbish them, and rent homes. Initially rejected by lenders, her extended family assisted her in construction projects to help build her credit and credibility.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

At Mahogany Mane, we believe in community and the value of beautification of neighborhoods in greatest need. Our typical clients may be single mothers on assistance and/or people who are credit-challenged and supporting large families. We also work with abused and battered women's organizations and community outreach programs to find qualified renters who are a good fit for our properties. Together with our community partners, we provide credit and family counseling for those in need.

For more, click on Mahogany Mane to visit her site.

Well, if only Celie had had a friend like Desreta...

Then again, we wouldn't have had the pleasure of being able to read this critically acclaimed, 1983 Pulitzer Prize winning book written by Alice Walker, now would we? Oh yeah, and Fantasia wouldn't be on Broadway burning it up!