Cindy Birdsong label, Cameo-Parkway, for a more lucrative deal with Atlantic Records. Birdsong first met The Supremes when the group opened for them in 1963. Patti LaBelle has noted that a rivalry between the two groups developed after the Supremes were seen in the same store LaBelle and her band members were, shopping for clothes for performances. Group members reportedly were angry when the Supremes showed up on stage wearing the same outfit that they wore. The group also befriended a fellow Motown alumnus and Philly native, Tammi Terrell during that same period. The Blue Belles had some success after joining Atlantic
Mia Birdsong to connect with the characters in these stories. There were books like Nancy Drew and Judy Blume that drew on gender invisibility, but not race. When Birdsong was a senior in high school, she read Richard Wright's "Black Boy". Though the book wasn't assigned for students to read, Birdsong chose it for her AP English class. Another influence was Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back""." With the birth of her first child in 2005, Birdsong wanted to ensure that her daughter saw herself reflected in the world around her. She wanted her daughter to