BURLINGTON, Ontario, Canada, April 15, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Mixedrace.com is a unique online community that is aimed at bringing together people from all races and ethnicities and helping shed 'old-world' racial taboos. This week sees the launch of Mixedrace.com's brand new community and the start of the mixed-race experience online.
Art Harrison, the 24-year-old entrepreneur behind Mixedrace.com, is targeting a highly desirable but completely overlooked niche market. In the U.S. alone, the ethnic market represents nearly one-third of the total population and $1 trillion in annual purchasing power. There have been successful communities targeting individual races before, but the multiracial community and the concept of interracial relationships and dating has been completely overlooked.
As a child of an interracial family and a well-established multiracial activist, Harrison knows his audience well. In the U.S. alone, multiracial births are increasing 2,500% faster than all births combined. By 2050 approximately 30 million people will be multiracial. "Our perceptions of race are changing," Harrison says, "and it's time that the Internet reflected these changes. With the 2000 U.S. Census, nearly seven million Americans checked multiple races on their forms showing that many people no longer want to be forced into narrow categories. Mixedrace.com is the first company to respond to this reality."
Launched this week, Mixedrace.com has already attracted thousands of members. "Our success depends upon our members. No one can tell their stories and experiences better than they can, and we hope to incorporate them in to the fabric of the site," says Harrison.
Powered by the proprietary communication platform, the MXDCommunity suite, (built entirely from the ground-up by Harrison), Mixedrace.com is at the cutting-edge of Internet communications. Once there, members will find a Web site that goes far beyond content to offer a wide range of communication tools. Free E-mail, Web-based Instant Messaging, Dating, Chat Rooms, and Personalized Homepages are being heavily promoted to build initial member enrollment. Once registered, members are encouraged to become active participants of the community, contributing to such areas as:
-- Online Clubs and Groups -- Book Club Discussions -- Discussion Boards -- 'Real-World' Organizations and Events -- And much more
Harrison sees Mixedrace.com quickly growing into the preeminent community for North America's fastest growing population. "Our ultimate goal is to make Mixedrace.com the most innovative and reliable source of information, entertainment and community for the mixed-race generation -- a one-stop site that appeals to an increasingly diverse society."
"The sheer existence of the 'multiracial generation' has thrown so many old ideals out the window. I believe that Mixedrace.com will help continue this trend of breaking down doors and erasing old taboos."
For more information, please visit http://www.mixedrace.com/