Women’s History Month Family Spotlight Series Featuring Tamika Lamison

We try not to flood everyone’s inbox too often. Most of the time, we like to send updates when there is something meaningful to share and give everyone a little breathing room in between.

However, this month you may hear from us a bit more than usual.

Why?

Because we are excited to celebrate Women’s History Month by shining a spotlight on some of the incredible women in our Barnes-Blow family.

Throughout the month, we will be sharing stories, biographies, and accomplishments of women in our family whose lives reflect strength, resilience, leadership, creativity, and love for family. Some you may know well. Others you may be meeting for the first time. Either way, each story is part of the larger legacy that connects us all.

We hope these spotlights help us learn more about one another, celebrate the women who have helped shape our family, and inspire the next generation.

We are kicking off the series with the biography of Tamika Lamison, whose story reminds us that the legacy of the Barnes-Blow family continues to grow in powerful and meaningful ways.

And if you would like to feature yourself or highlight a family member during this series, please send their information and a photo to janay@thearch.group so we can include them.

Stay tuned. There are many more stories to come.

Our very own Tamika Lamison

Tamika is the daughter of Cleveland Lamison and Patricia Riddick, the granddaughter of Beatrice Barnes and Winget Lamison, and the great-granddaughter of Langston Barnes and Rhea Mae Blow Barnes.

Tamika Lamison – Biography

Tamika Lamison is a purpose-driven creative leader whose career has been defined by a commitment to service, community empowerment, and transformative storytelling. She is the founder of Make A Film Foundation, a nonprofit that grants “film wishes” to children with terminal or serious illnesses by pairing them with notable actors, directors, and writers to create legacy short films. Tamika built the organization from the ground up, galvanizing the entertainment industry—including all major unions, studios, equipment houses, and A-list talent—to contribute time, resources, and artistry. This work has provided a powerful platform for young people to be seen, heard, and celebrated, while offering Hollywood an opportunity to give back through its greatest gift: storytelling.

Tamika has been a long-standing champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion across California’s entertainment industry. She created and led the Commercial Directors Diversity Program (CDDP), a groundbreaking DEI initiative between the Directors Guild of America and the AICP, which she ran for eight years. Under her leadership, CDDP helped launch the careers of dozens of women and historically underrepresented directors into the competitive worlds of commercial and branded content. Her vision, mentorship, and strategic guidance helped bridge talent gaps and shift hiring practices within advertising.

Tamika also played a key role in the development of the Academy Gold Program at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she helped structure a pipeline for emerging talent across disciplines. Through her work with the Academy’s SPARK Program, she mentored middle school students, empowering them to explore filmmaking and creative expression at a young age. She has been actively involved in numerous nonprofit organizations throughout Los Angeles, including Inner City Filmmakers, Kids in the Spotlight, Greenway Arts Alliance, and The Star Program, consistently advocating for youth, education, and access to the arts.

Alongside her service and leadership, Tamika is a multi-hyphenate creative force whose artistry is rooted in truth, vulnerability, and cultural reflection. Her first screenplay, Jar By the Door, was a Sundance Finalist and recipient of the Gordon Parks Independent Film Award. She is an alumna of the ABC/Walt Disney Fellowship, CBS Directors Initiative, and AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, where she wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning short Hope.

Most recently, her short film Superman Doesn’t Steal—based on a personal childhood memory—won the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short Form (Live-Action) and seven Telly Awards, including Best Direction and Best Writing. Over the past two years, Tamika has been selected for Gotham’s “Shorts to Features” program, Dan Lin’s Rideback RISE Fellowship Circle, the 2024 Disney Directing Program, and the SeriesFest Shondaland Women’s Directing Mentorship finalist list. She also won Bravemaker’s PitchFest for her project Faith by Fireand is currently developing multiple film and TV projects, including two series sold to Searchlight and Paramount.

Tamika’s impact as a leader, mentor, and creator exemplifies the power of merging purpose with art. Her work continues to uplift underrepresented voices while shaping the future of inclusive storytelling in California and beyond.