Universal Minds, Hearts & Souls Media initiative partnered with Lady Strategist to combat racism and sexism by putting girls of color behind the camera and at the center of the story.
You can’t be what you can’t see.
Our media tells us a lot about who we are and the stories we believe about ourselves. Yet, a female POV is under-published, under-broadcast, and under-streamed compared to a male POV. Now more than ever, women and girls of color need a place at the table to change the narrative.
Where we come in
Lady Strategist (LSM) develops the voice and media literacy of teenage girls and young women, ages 14-22 from under-served communities by teaching them digital media production and journalism skills. Our curriculum is designed to improve scholastic achievement, ignite community activism, and spark social change. We match the girls in our program with mentors, scholarships, paid internships, and jobs. LSM is building a pipeline to parity through our Ma’at initiative connecting employers with young women of color who are graduates of our programs around the world.
We change the storytellers so they can change the world
Lady Strategist empowers young women to bring their often-overlooked perspectives onto the global media stage. By turning up the volume of girls’ voices globally, LSM promotes freedom of expression and strengthens substantive journalism that addresses historically marginalized voices. We do this while also building self-esteem, leadership capacity, and 21st-century skills. Founded in 2014, we are currently active in The Americas, Africa, and Asia.
LSM believes training young women of color in digital media journalism is important to developing strong, healthy communities. For youth, particularly young women, education and self-expression are key to changing the entrenched stereotypes and values that hold them back and keep them from succeeding in the fields of media and technology. LSM intentionally works exclusively with girls to provide a safe, nurturing environment where they can lead, speak their minds, and learn how to close the gender/technology divide.
LSM partners with schools, after-school programs, other NGOs, and community centers to select girls for our programs and help sustain their work. In addition to four-week summer training, Lady Strategist participates in year-long mentorships with leading journalists, filmmakers, and new media mavericks. In this way, we provide both short-term and long-term support to low-income, marginalized girls globally.
