Welcome to Belleville. Population: Everybody.Demetria L. Lucas is the author of ABelleInBrooklyn.com where she muses daily on dating, pop culture and women’s empowerment. Her first book, A BELLE IN BROOKLYN (Atria), based on her blog essays, will be published in June 2011. Lucas is also the Relationships Editor at Essence Magazine where she also authors her own monthly advice column, Dating Guide. 

Lucas has been featured as a dating expert on VH1's Let's Talk About Pep, TV One's Access Hollywood, Good Day New York, the Tom Joyner Morning Show and the Oprah Radio Show. She’s been a featured panelist at Harvard, Princeton, and New York University, and Spelman College. This summer, she hosted the Fort Greene Music Festival in her beloved Brooklyn and Steve Harvey's Love & Relationships Day at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans.

Lucas is committed to uplifting young women and helping them build strong support systems. Twice a year she hosts "Cocktails with Belle", a networking event for emerging leaders, and annually, Lucas and a network of like-minded associates, host the 'Legends To Be Brunch,' a networking event and awards ceremony that brings together successful women in entertainment, media, fashion, law, and finance to honor their numerous achievements.

Prior to joining the Essence team, Lucas blogged about dating for Honeymag.com and was a freelance writer for People, VIBE, XXL, Black Enterprise and ESPN the Magazine. She was also a book editor for Harlequin and BET Books, where she edited national bestselling and award-winning romance authors.

Lucas graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with an English degree, then earned her Master’s Degree in Journalism from New York University. 

Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/abelleinbk. 

Follow her on Formspring at Formspring.me/abelleinbk