I had an opportunity to chat with the co-founder of The Black Box Office Margo Lockhart for an inside look into one of the most popular movie sites online.

The Black Box Office was created because the founders Daryle and Margo Lockhart felt like there was nothing else like it on the web. “We wanted to talk movies. We wanted to make the site an extension of the conversations we were having at dinner,” says Lockhart who also noticed that good independent, and studio movies were not being marketed well. The site’s founder Daryle Lockhart has spent years in the interactive field and along with Margo’s charm and the expertise of the network of colleagues, family and friends, the duo were able to get the site up and running.

The Black Box Office is not just an online movie destination, it also addresses African-Americans in the movie industry? “Black people are the creative influence in American culture today. We’re telling more stories than ever before. Our stories are also being told across the globe. From Brooklyn to Bollywood, we need to bridge the gap between all the cultures,” says Lockhart. She feels it is important to discuss the artistic contribution and the hard work that our actors put into these films. She asserts that it’s important for our children to know that Phil Lamar is the voice behind the Green Lantern.

As far as the state of Black Hollywood today? Margo says this is the best and diverse pool of creative minds in about 30 years. “On one side you have Tim Story who directed two successful Marvel Comic movie adaptations. On the other side you have actors directing from Denzel Washington, Levar Burton and Rockmond Dunbar. Tyler Perry has changed the game and it’s going to be nice watching the next generation do their thing in Hollywood, with so many icons who have paved the,” notes Lockhart who also thinks we have a lot to be proud of in Black Hollywood.

With more opportunities that exist for black celebrities, I had to ask what does The Black Box Office foresee for black celebrities in the future? Lockhart believes with more opportunities to own, teach and give, you also see more of us going global doing more cross-culture projects.

Overall, The Black Box Office is the support that Black Hollywood needs. The site offers a positive perspective on Black cinema that unites Black movie blogs online approaching them as friends and not as competitors. They all contribute to each others blogs which is something you don’t see from other movie blogs which a different focus. As a result, important names in the industry have started to take The Black Box Office even more seriously. “They are beginning to look to our thoughts as honest feedback of the work they do,” says Lockhart. “Overall our contribution is to all those who build the industry that we all love.”