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You Must See...A Girl Like Me By Kiri Davis
August 8, 2006
If you want to watch something VERY powerful and moving, watch Kiri Davis' A Girl Like Me. This 17 year old filmmaker and student at the Urban Academy High School in NYC, uncovers a chilling message about issues that still plague our black youth. Simply put...Davis points out (through her interviews and by re-conducting Kenneth Clark's 1940s 'doll test') that hair and skin color still matter. As a result of her powerful message, Davis received the Diversity award from the Media That Matters Film Festival sponsored by the Third Millennium Foundation.
(photo via the mediathatmattersfest.org)
Educators are also responding to the messages revealed in the film. Erin Einhorn from the New York Daily News writes, "The film has made a mark in the educational world where it has been shown to grad students at the Bank Street College of Education and to administrators in the city Education Department. It may have had its most significant effect at Boys and Girls Harbor, the organization that granted Davis access to kids in Harlem.
There, teachers are rethinking their curriculum and educational approach. When Bernadette Wallace, the director of pre- and after-school services, screened the film for her staff, she said, "Some of my teachers had tears in their eyes. They couldn't believe it." (via Erin Einhorn's article, City teen's film shows racial rift)
What other resources are out there for educators on this disturbing issue? Here's what I've found so far. Hair Story : Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America by Ayana Byrd and Lori Tharps
I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and E.B. Lewis
Please add your own resources and/or thoughts in the comment section.
-Amy Bowllan
Posted by Amy Bowllan on August 8, 2006 | Comments (4)
