The Ambitious
MS.
Rocsi
Story by
DeWayne Rogers
Rocsi’s Style Team:
Photography by
James Weber
(www.jamesweberstudio.com)
Fashion Styling by Clifford Wray III
of Fashion Style Emergency Inc.
Stylist: Reese Sherman,
Makeup by Daryon Haylock
Chair: Blazer Jacket by Hennes and Maritz,
Shirt by Malandrino Coutur,
Denim jeans by Artist Own,
Shoes by BCBG max Azria
Ring by JewelMak,
Gold Earrings by Baby Phat
Dress: Tunic Dress by Custo Barcelona,
Diamond Ring by JewelMak,
Earrings by Hennes and Maritz
Red Wall: Halter pantsuit by Malandrino Couture,
Jewelry by JewelMak
Substance. Grace. Style. Class.
Those four words continued to revisit the psyche of this writer
throughout the duration of our time with BET “106 & Park” host
Raquel “Rocsi” Diaz. Surprisingly, it wasn’t her physical countenance
(she happens to be very beautiful) that conjured up such positive
wordplay. In fact, that would have been too easy a connection. No, it
was the inner beauty that manifested outwardly that sparked such strong
verbiage.
Having long been familiar with her entertainment exploits — first
through her successful foray in radio, and now as the co-host of BET’s
long-standing ratings blockbuster, one would expect the native Honduran
to treat this interview as if it were old hat. She didn’t. Rocsi’s
candor and warm exuberance, spoke of something greater … something
innate in a select few. Substance. Grace. Style. Class.
Let’s examine each trait individually.
Substance
Since
2006, when BET decided to move “106 & Park” in a new direction, by
replacing founding hosts A.J. and Free, life has been a virtual
whirlwind for both Rocsi and her co-hosting compatriot, Terrence J.
Despite the initial doubts regarding their ability to shoulder the
tremendously high expectations following the departure of the previous
hosts, the pair thrived and even managed to push the show into an even
higher stratosphere.
But Rocsi took every accomplishment in
stride, choosing to use her newfound influence to positively impact the
people of Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. With the creation of
her R.O.C.S.T.A.R. Foundation, it’s evident that Rocsi is concerned
about more than just her success.
“This time of year is always so busy at BET,” she she admits, letting
out a sigh. “With ‘Rip the Runway,’ ‘Spring Bling,’ and the ‘BET
Awards’ coming up, there’s always something going on at the network. In
the middle of all of that, I still have to find time to work with my
foundation. Our event is always July Fourth weekend during the Essence
Festival, so there’s a lot of work to do. During the summer and this
time of year, I’m really feeling it, because I’m always on the go. But
it’s all definitely worth it.”
The time factor would deter most from exerting the amount of time and
energy that Rocsi pours into charitable causes, but she wouldn’t have
it any other way. “You’ve got to make time to give back, and this is
something that I do from the heart,” she explains. “You have to make
time for the things that you believe in. There’s enough time in
anyone’s day to do something good for another person. So I make time
for my charity, and I make time to give back to the city of New
Orleans.”
Grace
As
the face of the R.O.C.S.T.A.R. Foundation, Rocsi has proven to be an
exceptional international ambassador of goodwill. Her graceful approach
to sharing the merits of her philanthropic endeavors is ultimately
inspiring in today’s financial climate, as the purse strings of
corporations continue to tighten — only loosening for those who can
clearly and effectively articulate their objectives. But even when
companies can’t freely give monetarily, Rocsi still manages to somehow
find the silver lining amid turbulent economic clouds.
“The
state that the world is in makes it increasingly difficult to raise
money for the foundation,” she states. “I had a lot of international
help for my last function, and now it’s just becoming harder and harder
to find the sponsors to be able to pull off an event. I will say this
though, a lot of people are giving their time, and companies are
donating products … like for instance, Dell is donating computers to
help rebuild a school’s computer lab. So for me, it doesn’t always have
to be about money, and we’re grateful for any blessing that we can get
right now.”
Style
With disturbing images of minority women readily on display through the
mere click of a remote control button, it’s refreshing to know that
there are still positive examples for young women to pattern themselves
after. Upon receiving the news that she had been selected out of
thousands to become the new face of “106 & Park,” Rocsi realized
that she had instantly moved into role model status.
“There is definitely a responsibility being in the position that I am
in, because you have all of these beautiful young people that look up
to you each and every day,” she shares with a smile. “And a lot of them
want to be me, and they want to take my job. They have no problem
telling me, ‘Rocsi, I am going to take your job.’ And I’m like ‘go
ahead, take it,’ because at least they are aspiring to want to be
something. So yeah, being a role model is very important to me, and
it’s something that I work to portray myself as. And although we all
make mistakes as humans, I don’t want them to think that if Rocsi did
something, then it’s OK even if I was in the wrong. But if I do
something right, I want them to look at it and realize that it’s
something good to follow.”
Class
As
Rocsi continues to elevate her national and international image, she is
her toughest critic. Always observant, she has seen many stars fade
over time because they failed to keep a close eye on the progression of
their careers. So instead of simply basking in the rays of her BET
success, Rocsi is already working to carefully carve out more influence
in the entertainment community.
“Well I feel like I’ve
mastered radio, and I feel like I’m still learning and mastering
television, but the art of acting is an entirely different beast for
me,” she states as her eyes light up at the thought of being on the big
screen. “I want to master that, too, so I’m actively studying acting
right now. I’m going to school for it, and I take it very seriously
because I feel like it is my next step. Acting allows me to become an
entirely different character and step outside of my own box.”
“But Rocsi is a character, too,” she continues. “She isn’t who I am
every single day. My mama didn’t create Rocsi … she created Raquel. A
lot of people don’t know that, though. But through all of the names
that people decide to give me, whether it’s Raquel, Rocsi, Rockzilla or
Rocs, I’m still a very caring and very loyal person, who will always be
there for my loved ones. That is who I am.”
Now that is a class act.
