One Year to Find The One

Neenah Pickett’s mission is clear: she will find her husband in 2009. Her website 52 Weeks 2 Find Him! aims to aid her in that pursuit. The 42-year-old New Jersey communications consultant turned to the Web in her search for a spouse because conventional methods have failed (according to her About page). If her plan doesn’t work, she has opted to go dateless in 2010.

Neenah’s site features weekly videos (or “episodes”) on her progression, as well as a discussion board, online polls, a blog, and periodic tips and videos from her friends Traci, Bret, Christine, and Maureen. Neenah’s frequent media appearances are also listed; her story has been featured on Fox News, Essence, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and Good Morning America. Future Mr. Picketts aren’t left out either. There’s even a section for potential suitors to request a date with Neenah, and in the spirit of openness, they even have their own profile sections on the site.

Only time will tell as to whether or not Pickett’s plan will win her a man. A recent post on BlackVoices.com shows several dissenting opinions to Neenah’s site, but I think that this year-long personal ad is an interesting idea. Paid dating website memberships are on the decline with the proliferation of Facebok, MySpace, Flickr, and other social networking tools, and it sounds like other in-person options have not worked out. Pickett’s very public search may supersede the matters of safety and trust, but who knows? She’s not going it alone, and has the whole web as her dating coach. It sounds like she’s already said “I do” instead of “I don’t” in terms of giving this a shot.

What do you think? Is Pickett’s approach going to get her a date, or is it dated?

About the Author
Maurice Cherry is a web, graphic and print designer in Atlanta, GA. A graduate of Morehouse College, Maurice also works as a freelance web designer and electronic media consultant, working with entrepreneurs and small businesses on leveraging blogs, podcasts and other online technologies for their marketing and public relations needs. Maurice Cherry is also the creator behind the Black Weblog Awards.
See all posts by Maurice Cherry.