Eden Strachan

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S EPISODE OF "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

I'M YOUR HOST, DR. JUHANNA ROGERS, AND TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME A JOURNALIST AND FILMMAKER, EDEN STRACHAN.

EDEN IS A FILM MAKER, ENTREPRENEUR AND AUTHOR WHO IS LIVING HERE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK AND CREATING SPACES FOR BLACK GIRLS TO FIND SOME LOVE AND TONIGHT WE ARE GOING TO TALK WITH HER A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES.

WHY DON'T YOU GATHER YOUR FAMILY, TEXT YOUR FRIENDS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT TONIGHT'S EPISODE OF "BEHIND THE WOMAN" IS ON AND THEY DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT.

WELCOME EDEN.

HOW ARE YOU?

>> I'M THRILLED TO BE HERE.

THE SET LOOKS BEAUTIFUL AND THIS IS SO NICE.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> NO, I'M HONORED TO BE HERE.

I FEEL LIKE I'M CATCHING YOU AT THIS MOMENT WHERE YOU ARE ON LIKE THIS TRAJECTORY.

AND SO I'M EXCITED BECAUSE WE COULD GET YOU NOW BECAUSE I'M THINKING IN A YEAR FROM NOW, WHEN YOU ARE UP ON PANELS WITH ESA RAY AND OTHER FOLKS, I WILL BE LIKE, WE HAD HER WHEN.

>> SPEAKING IT INTO EXISTENCE.

AND I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE.

THIS IS MY HOME.

>> AWESOME I'M GOING TO START BY ASKING YOU ABOUT FILM LIKE HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH FILM MAKING AND WAS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT?

>> YEAH, I GREW NEWSPAPER SYRACUSE, AND ACTUALLY JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM HERE AND MY EIGHTH BRAID TEACHER GAVE ME AN iPAD AND THAT CHANGED MY LIFE.

IT REALLY EXPOSED ME TO THE MEDIA INDUSTRY, TO THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT WE COULD USE TO CREATE MEDIA FOR SOCIAL CHANGE.

AND SO I STARTED FILMING IN THIS COMMUNITY, DOCUMENTING THE GOOD PEOPLE DOING THE WORK THAT WAS ULTIMATELY GOING TO BE THE CHANGE IN SYRACUSE AND I CAPTURED THAT AND ITHACA COLLEGE SAW MY WORK AND OFFERED A FULL SCHOLARSHIP FOR MY USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGE AND THAT WAS THE GATEWAY FOR EVERYTHING OUT.

>> YOU JUST BREEZED THROUGH THAT REAL QUICK AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE IT BACK.

BUT THAT'S OKAY.

YOU HAVE GIVEN ME BITS TO BITE OFF OF.

WHO WAS THIS EIGHTH GRADE TEACHER AND WHY DID SHE GIVE YOU THE iPAD?

>> SO IT WAS A HE.

Mr. T. HE WAS SOMEONE THAT HEARD ME WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT MY INTEREST IN JOURNALISM.

I KNEW I WANTED TO DO STORY TELLING.

IT CAPTURED MY HEART.

I SAID I WANT TO GET PAID TO TALK TO PEOPLE ALL DAY, INITIALLY HE GOT ME AN INTERNSHIP, YOU KNOW, JUST DOING SOME WRITING AND STUFF.

AND THEN HE GAVE ME AND A COUPLE OF OTHER CLASSMATES iPADS TO DOCUMENT THE PROJECT-BASED WORK WE WERE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM.

I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I GOT THE iPAD, I WAS LIKE LIKE OH MY GOSH, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT.

I WAS FRUSTRATED.

THERE WERE INTENSE DEADLINES.

WE ARE IN EIGHTH GRADE.

>> THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, INTERNSHIP, FULL-TIME JOB.

I THINK YOU CAN HAVE WORKING PAPERS BY THEN.

>> I WAS REALLY SENDING MY RESUME TO MAT MUKAHEY.

I HAD TWO THINGS IN THERE.

I SAID CAN I COME IN.

THEY WERE KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME IN.

IT WAS REALLY COOL BECAUSE I KNEW I WANTED TO DO THIS AND SYRACUSE IS SO BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE LIKE THIS COMMUNITY THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALL BUT IT'S NOT THAT SMALL.

THERE IS A LOT OF RICH THINGS HAPPENING.

AND YOU GET THIS MEARNLG MAJOR CITY EXPERIENCE IN A SMALL AREA.

AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SO MUCH POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH AND EVERYONE CAN FEEL IT AND SEE IT AND EVERYONE IS EXCITED ABOUT IT: Mr. T GAVE ME THIS IPAD.

YOU SAID YOU NEED TO FILM AND EDIT THIS VIDEO BY 2 CLOCK BEFORE YOU GET ON THE BUS.

AND WE ARE LIKE THAT'S NOT REASONABLE.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT.

THE FIRST DAY, THE FRUSTRATION OF NOT KNOWING HOW TO CUT THINGS, HOW TO, YOU KNOW,FILM OR ANYTHING.

IT WAS KIND OF JUST BEING THROWN INTO IT BUT THAT WAS THE BIGGEST BLESSING FOR ME BECAUSE AFTER THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT OPENED MY ENTIRE LIKE CAREER PATH FOR MEDIA AND SOCIAL CHANGE.

AND SO IT WAS REALLY POWERFUL TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE.

>> AND IT'S POWERFUL THAT YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES, WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING STUDENTS OR JUST PEOPLE, RIGHT, IN THIS COMMUNITY, OPPORTUNITIES, IT'S LIKE NO, WE HAVE TO TEACH THEM EVERY ASPECT OF IT BEFORE WE CAN LEND THE OPPORTUNITY.

BUT I THINK YOUR STORY ABOUT Mr. T AND THE 2 P.M.

DEADLINE IS LIKE, NO, GIVE THEM THE RESOURCES, GIVE THEM THE FRAMEWORK AND SEE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH, IT UNLOCKS A WHOLE WORLD.

>> THAT'S WHY I'M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT AND MAKING SURE WE ARE EVEN DOING THE BLACK GIRLS GET LOVE TRAINING PROGRAM.

PROVIDE BLACK GIRLS OF COLOR INDUSTRY STANDARD PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE IN SYRACUSE SO THEY WILL LEARN PRODUCING, DIRECTING, ACTING, CINEMATOGRAPHY, POST PRODUCTION AND THAT STUFF IS SO CLOSE TO MY HEART BECAUSE I WAS THE PRODUCT OF IT.

AND SO IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW,ACCESS BUT ALSO NOT FORGETTING ABOUT THE MAP TO GIVE THEM THE ACCESS, GIVING THEM THE MENTORSHIP AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT I WAS ABLE TO, YOU KNOW RECEIVE, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF JUST GOING TO COLLEGE AND COMING OUT AND EVEN PRACTICING THAT SINCE THE EIGHTH GRADE, LIKE IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR ME.

>> WHAT WAS IT THAT... DID YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT SOMETHING WHEN YOU WENT FROM THIS ONE PROJECT WITH Mr. T TO WHAT GETS YOU THE FULL RIDE TO ITHACA?

>> SO THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY CALLED THE PARKS SCHOLARSHIP.

AND I JUST GOT BACK FROM ITHACA YESTERDAY BECAUSE WE HAD ALUMNI WEEKEND FOR THE PARK SCHOLARS AND THIS IS A PROGRAM WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO BRING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE, ACADEMICS AND MEDIA TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO IF THE BARRIERS OF FINANCIAL STRESS OF COLLEGE ARE REMOVED.

SO JUST HAVING THAT EARLY START FROM THE EIGHTH GRADE AND BEING ABLE TO CAPTURE THE SERVICE THAT WE WERE DOING BECAUSE IT WASN'T JUST ABOUT WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS WORK AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO EMPOWER PEOPLE WITH IT SO I JUST KIND OF HAD THAT BACKGROUND AND I HONED THE CRAFT OVER THAT FOUR-YEAR PERIOD OF HIGH SCHOOL AND WHEN I WAS APPLYING TO COLLEGE, COMING FROM SYRACUSE, NOT FEELING LIKE I HAD LIKE THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF MY PEERS, I WAS ABLE TO COMPETE BECAUSE OF THE ACCESS I WAS GIVEN AND IT WAS LIFE CHANGING I MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO HOLLYWOOD FROM SYRACUSE.

>> SAY THAT AGAIN.

YOU MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO HOLLYWOOD FROM SYRACUSE.

>> YES.

THAT IS REALLY POWERFUL AND WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT LEARNING ABOUT THE PARK SCHOLARSHIP, TO ITHACA LIKE THAT CONTINUAL ACCESS SO THAT IS WONDERFUL.

SO NOW YOU ARE IN ITHACA, HANGING OUT, HAVING A GOOD TIME, MAKING FILMS, ON YOUR WAY TO HOLLYWOOD, RIGHT?

WHERE DOES BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE SHOW UP IN THAT JOURNEY?

THE HEART OF EVERYTHING I WAS DOING JUST MOVED AN HOUR AND A HALF DOWN THE ROAD TO ITHACA.

MY WORK ALWAYS HAD THAT SOCIAL JUSTICE THEME BUT I THINK BEING IN THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT, THE HEART OF WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS THE ACADEMIC INFORMATION SO I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A BLACK THEORY FEMINIST CLASS AND IT IS JUST SO POWERFUL BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, WOW, YOU KNOW, IT IS LEGITIMATE TO MAKE WORK ABOUT BLACK WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES.

SO HOW DO I MERGE MY PASSIONS FOR MEDIA AND MY PASSION FOR, YOU KNOW, EMPOWERING WOMEN OF COLOR, SPECIFICALLY BLACK WOMEN.

AND SO THAT WAS, IN THAT CLASS, AND ALL THE WORK THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING, IT HAD LIKE THIS CULMINATION OF OH MY GOODNESS.

LIKE MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.

I GREW UP, I FELT LIKE OUT OF PLACE BECAUSE MY SKIN WAS DARKER AND MY HAIR WAS DIFFERENT.

AND I WAS LIKE, HOW DO I MAKE SOMETHING THAT IS RELEVANT BUT ALSO THAT'S HONEST THAT SPEAKS TO PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES BUT DOESN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE.

I DON'T WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT AUTHENTIC.

SO IT TOOK A LOT OF PERSONAL WORK, LIKE DIGGING INTO HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY WANT TO SHARE?

>> AND WHAT STORY OF YOURSELF DO YOU REALLY WANT TO TELL, RIGHT?

>> AND THAT'S SOMETIMES WHERE THE CHALLENGE FOR PRODUCING A PROJECT LIKE THIS ONE, RIGHT?

, COMES FROM OUT OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL TRUTH, I WOULD IMAGINE TO THAT POINT LIKE BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE I'M LIKE THAT IS POWERFUL.

>> THANK YOU.

>> TO COME OUT AND SAY.

AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS HOW MUCH OF THAT MANIFESTED, AS YOU FOUND YOURSELF OUTSIDE OF THIS COMMUNITY, DOWN IN ITHACA, WORKING ON YOUR CRAFT?

>> IT WAS JUST SUCH A BLESSING TO BE THERE BECAUSE I ACTUALLY MADE THIS AS MY, THE FIRST WORK UNDER THE BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE BANNER, WAS MY THESIS FILM OF THE SAME NAME.

SO HAVING THOSE THINGS LIKE IN MY HEART, IN MY MIND, AND THEN SEEING IT ON THE SCREEN, LIKE THAT WAS A MOMENT.

AND IT WAS SO FUNNY BECAUSE WE HAD A THESIS SCREENING AND IT WAS RIDICULOUS.

WOULD YOU HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE PREMIER.

THERE WERE PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL OVER.

IT WAS OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT.

WE HAD POPUP TENTS BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING BUT PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO GATHER OUTSIDE IN THE POPUP TENT TO BE THERE WITH US FOR THIS.

I WAS LIKE WHOA.

WE CAN'T STOP HERE.

AND ON THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED WHEN I WAS IN L.A., THE TELEVISION ACADEMY, THE EMMIES, BEING OUT THERE AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO POUND THE PAVEMENT.

>> I'M GOING TO STOP YOU AGAIN BECAUSE YOU KEEP THROWING THESE THINGS OUT THERE.

SHE STARTED IN Mr. T'S CLASS AND HAD THE PARK SCHOLARSHIP AND SHE IS AT ITHACA AND THEN YOU ARE IN HOLLYWOOD.

IT TOOK ME TO HOLLYWOOD TO LITERALLY WORK ON, DID YOU SAY THE EMMIES?

THE EMMIES BROUGHT ME OUT THERE AND PLACED ME IN SMALLER COMPANIES AND I WAS LEARNING THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF TELEVISION AND FILM.

HOW DO YOU BRING AN IDEA TO THE SCREEN.

SO IT WAS REALLY GREAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT BOOTS ON THE GROUND EXPERIENCE, YOU ARE LIKE L.A. IS NOT FOR THE WEAK.

SO BEING OUT THERE WAS LIKE WHOA, I REALLY NEED TO LEARN THIS BUSINESS SO I CAN GO HOME AND BRING THE IDEAS THAT I HAVE TO LIFE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE THAT I GOT OUT THERE.

>> WHILE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE YOU HAD OUT THERE.

I WANT TO TALK THIS MOMENT AND LET US TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE WORK THAT EDEN IS DOING RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY AROUND HER FIRST THESIS BUT NOW HER BOOK PROJECT AS WELL AS THE TELEVISION SHOW THAT SHE IS WORKING ON AROUND THIS IDEA THAT BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE.

♪ ♪ >> SO TODAY IS EARTH DAY AND WE ARE CURRENTLY AT GREEN LAKE STATE PARKS AND I'M HOSTING THE BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE OUTDOOR EXPLORATION EVENT.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PARTNER WITH THE OUTDOORS PROGRAM TO BRING GIRLS OF COLOR TO A STATE PARK AND EXPERIENCE NATURE.

THE ENTIRE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO BRIDGE THAT GAP AND MAKE SURE THAT KIDS OF COLOR ARE GETTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE NATURE AND LEARN ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREERS THAT THE OUTDOORS HAS FOR THEM.

THEY'RE EXPERIENCING CAMPING SKILLS SUCH AS FIRE BUILDING, WE ARE BUILDING TENTS, AND WE ARE ALSO DOING SOME BIRDING.

WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THIS EVENT SPONSORED BY THE CORNELL ORNITHOLOGY LAB, SO BASICALLY THEY WANTED US TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE WHAT BIRDING IS LIKE.

AND WE BROUGHT ISAIAH SCOTT HERE FROM CORNELL.

HE IS STUDYING ORNITHOLOGY THERE AND HE WAS ABLE TO USE BINOCULARS SPONSORED BY MAX AND THESE GIRLS WERE ABLE TO SEE NATURE IN THEIR LOCAL AREA.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE PROVIDING GIRLS OF COLOR WITH REALLY COOL OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THINGS THAT ARE NOT ONLY GOING TO BOOST THEIR SELFIE SELF-ESTEEM AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE GETTING EXPOSURE TO DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS.

MEDIA IS MY BACKGROUND.

I WAS A JOURNALIST, FILM MAKER.

I STILL AM.

CURRENTLY WORKING ON OUR UPCOMING BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE TELEVISION SHOW.

SO I OF COURSE WANT TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GIRLS TO LEARN ABOUT MEDIA, TO LEARN ABOUT STORY TELLING BUT ALSO WE ARE OPEN TO DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AND DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE LIKE, WE BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WE SUPPORT THAT SO BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE OUTDORSEY VENT HELPS US WITH THE MISSION OF HOW BLACK GIRLS AND WOMEN ARE PERCEIVED IN SOCIETY AND ALLOWING US TO SEE BLACK GIRLS IN SPACES WHERE THEY SOMETIMES ARE NOT REPRESENTED SUCH AS THE OUTDOORS.

SO THIS IS REALLY COOL.

WE ARE ABLE TO BRING THE BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE EXPERIENCE SOMEWHERE UNCONVENTIONAL.

WE PUT UP OUR PINK CARPET.

WE DID THE ROSES TIARAS WHEN THEY COME IN.

WE WANT THEM TO FEEL SPECIAL AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE THOUGHT OF.

THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING IS AT THE CORE, SELF-ESTEEM BUILDING.

WE ARE VALIDATING GIRLS WHO SOMETIMES DON'T FEEL PRETTY BECAUSE MAYBE THE WAY THEIR HAIR LOOKS OR THE WAY THEIR SKIN LOOKS.

THAT'S WHY ALL OF THIS STARTED.

WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY VALIDATING THESE GIRLS BUT PROVIDING THEM TANGIBLE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW THEMSELVES AND GROW THEIR CAREERS.

SOME OF THEM ARE REALLY YOUNG BUT EXPOSURE GOES A LONG WAY, REPRESENTATION GOES A LONG WAY.

EVEN IF IT IS JUST FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN PROVIDE THAT WHEN GIRLS OF COLOR ENTER OUR SPACE.

THE IMPACT THAT I'M SEEING SO FAR IS GIRLS HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BINOCULARS BEFORE.

SOME GIRLS HAVE NEVER GONE CAMPING BEFORE.

LEARNING HOW TO PITCH A TENT, TO BUILD A FIRE.

THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY LIFE SKILLS SO THE EXTIGHTMENT THE EXPOSURE, IT GOES A LONG WAY.

WE ARE HOPING TO CONTINUE TO DO UNCONVENTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE GIRLS AND MAKE SURE THEY FEEL SPECIAL AND ARE GROWING THEIR CAREERS AND TUBS WITH THEIR LIVES WITH THE PROGRAMMING WE ARE DOING.

THE BEST PART THAT WE ARE DOING BUILDING COMMUNITY, INCLUDING ALL PEOPLE.

AND IT'S REALLY SPECIAL TO SEE HOW PEOPLE HAVE STOOD BEHIND US AND YOU KNOW, SUPPORTED US IN KIND.

HAVE GIVEN US RESOURCES SUCH AS EXPERIENCES LIKE THIS TO NOT ONLY FURTHER OUR MISSION BUT TO JUST MAKE GIRLS OF COLOR FEEL SPECIAL.

>> THAT WAS PHENOMENAL, RIGHT, GETTING THE GIRLS OUTDOORS.

TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT IS DRIVING SOME OF YOUR IDEAS BEHIND THESE EVENTS?

BECAUSE THIS SOUNDS-- I'M READY FOR A SLEEPOVER AND THE PROM.

>> YOU WILL BE INVITED TO THE PROM ALL OF THIS IS TO MAKE SURE GIRLS OF COLOR HAVE THEIR COMING OF AGE EXPERIENCE.

WE STARTED THE PROM IN JULY OF 2022 AND IT WAS OUR FIRST MAJOR EVENT AND IT REALLY ALLOWED PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT AND WHAT OUR ULTIMATE TELEVISION SHOW WILL BE ABOUT BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT GIRLS OF COLOR ARE HAVING THE COMING OF AGE MOMENT THAT MIGHT NOT BE POSITIVE.

HAVE THE EXPERIENCES FLIPPED ON THEIR HEAD AND REINFORCE POSITIVE MEMORIES OF SO VALENTINE'S DAY, SLUMBER PARTY, WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH BOCES AND HAVE HAIR AND MAKEUP AND FACIALS, MANICURES.

IT WAS AMAZING FOR THESE GIRLS TO BE PAMPERED ON A DAY WHERE WHAT IF YOU DIDN'T GET A VALENTINE?

WE MADE SURE YOU FELT SPECIAL.

>> WHAT IS THE AGE GROUP FOR SOME OF THE EVENTS.

>> 5-25.

I KNOW IT'S A HUGE RANGE.

>> WHEN WE HAD OUR PROM, IT WAS FUNNY BECAUSE THE PROM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 13-25 AND I HAD PARENTS ON FACEBOOK LIKE OH MY GOSH, I REALLY WISH OUR DAUGHTERS COULD COME.

I CAN'T SAY NO.

SO THE PARENTS CAME AND IT WAS AWESOME BECAUSE WE HAD GIRLS AS YOUNG AS 5 AND WOMEN AS OLD AS 57 AS PARTICIPANTS AT THE PROM.

AND I THINK THAT EXPERIENCE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE NOT ONLY CAN WE ALL LIKE COME AROUND LIKE THIS SHARED EXPERIENCE, BUT ALSO WE ARE NOT FOCUSING ON NEGATIVE THUNKS.

WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE OUR IDENTITIES.

AND SO TO HAVE LIKE THAT RANGE AS A SAMPLE FOR, OKAY, THIS CAN WORK, YOU KNOW, FOR DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS BECAUSE SOMETIMES LIKE WOMEN MAY NOT HAVE HAD THESE EXPERIENCES WHERE THEY GOT TO TALK OPENLY ABOUT DEI CONCEPTS BUT NOT IN A HIGH LEVEL WAY.

WE ARE JUST BREAKING IT DOWN TO THE CORE OF STORY TELLING.

SO IT HAS BEEN REALLY FUN.

>> AWESOME!

I REMEMBER LAST YEAR WHEN WE FIRST MET, IT WAS PROBABLY MAYBE A WEEK OR SO BEFORE THE PROM, RIGHT?

AND DARIA CONNECTED US.

AND YOU WERE JUST SUCH A-- I WAS SO IMPRESSED.

WE HAD LUNCH AND CUPCAKES, I THINK AT SOUTH CITY MARKET.

[LAUGHTER] BUT YOU WERE SUCH A BALL OF ENERGY.

YOU ARE, FROM THAT MOMENT, I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN YOU JUST CONTINUE TO PUT THE WORK OUT THERE, THE EVENTS OUT THERE.

WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED?

NOW?

THAT'S A VERY HONEST QUESTION.

NOBODY HAS ASKED ME THAT.

I THINK MY MOTIVATION IS THAT I WANTED THIS STUFF WHEN I WAS A KID.

I WANTED TO FEEL SPECIAL EVEN THOUGH I HAD MY MOM AND HER FRIENDS AND THEY WOULD TELL US SAY IT LOUD, WE ARE BLACK AND WE ARE PROUD.

I REMEMBER HAVING THE POSITIVE THINGS BUT HOOF ALL, I FELT LIKE I DIDN'T HAVE MY COMING OF AGE EXPERIENCE BUT I FELTED LIKE I WAS WATCHING OTHER PEOPLE AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M A HUGE ROM-COM OR COMING OF AGE MOVIES AND I ACTUALLY DID A TED X ON THIS TALKING ABOUT THE LACK OF BLACK FEMALE REPRESENTATION AND GENRE AND I WISH I COULD SEE THOSE MOMENTS AND IF I SAW IT, MAYBE I WOULD BELIEVE I ON WOULD GO GET IT, TOO SO WHEN WE HAVE OUR EVENTS AND WOULDY SEE THE GIRLS AND THE LOOK ON THEIR FACE WHEN THEY WALK DOWN THE PINK CARPET, GREETED WITH ROSES AND TIARAS AND THAT HUMANIZING MOMENT OF YES, YOU ARE SPECIAL.

YOU MATTER AS SOON AS YOU WALK IN THE SPACE.

>> THAT'S IMPORTANT WORK.

I THOUGHT BACK TO THE MOMENT WHERE YOU SAID YOU HAD YOUR MOM AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS NETWORK BUT MISSED OUT ON SOME THINGS.

I WAS WONDERING IF MY MIND BECAUSE SOME WAYS I FEEL THE SAME WAY BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU WERE MEANING THE SAME THING BUT A LOT OF THE MOMENTS I DIDN'T FEEL LOVED HAPPENED WHEN I WALKED OUT OF MY DOOR AND WENT INTO SCHOOL.

AND SOME OF THOSE SOCIALIZED PRESSURES OF WHAT GIRLHOOD SHOULD LOOK LIKE DIDN'T HAPPEN.

AND I WAS JUST WONDERING FOR YOU... >> A LOT OF PEOPLE.

EVERY TIME I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS PUTTING THIS OUT THERE, I WAS LIKE I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT.

I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE WILL RESONATE.

AND JUST THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE FROM OUR COMMUNITY, IT MAKES ME EMOTIONAL ACTUALLY BECAUSE IT'S LIKE NOT JUST PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT SUPPORT.

I THINK THAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE IT'S LIKE WE ARE CREATING A COMMUNITY OF EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO GET BEHIND MAKING SURE BLACK GIRLS FEEL SPECIAL.

I MEAN IT'S SO POWERFUL.

>> AND IF WE LOOK BACK AT EVEN, YOU KNOW, OVER THIS LAST YEAR AND THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND BLACK GIRL REPRESENTATION IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA, RIGHT?

THE INCIDENTS AROUND LITTLE MERMAID A LITTLE THAT CHARACTER, YOU KNOW, BECOMING OR PLAYED BY A WOMAN OF COLOR AND THE CONVERSATIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WERE JUST PRETTY DEPLORABLE.

RIGHT?

WHEN YOU ARE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, I'M ALSO THINKING IN MY MIND ALL OF THE WAYS THAT SHOWING UP AS A BLACK GIRL DURING BLACK GIRLHOOD, RIGHT, CAN BE A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE, RIGHT?

AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FOLKS SHOWING UP FROM 5-57, I CAN IMAGINE BECAUSE THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF WOMEN, RIGHT, WHO EXPERIENCED THIS ACROSS GENERATIONS THAT ARE NOW GETTING REAFFIRMED OR FINDING SPACES TO TO LOVE THEMSELVES.

SO YOU ARE LEADING A MOVEMENT.

>> THANK YOU.

THAT MEANS A LOT.

IT REALLY DOES.

SOMETIMES I DON'T REALLY GET TO LIKE TAKE THAT STEP BACK.

>> LIKE ARE YOU SITTING BACK?

>> LIKE RIGHT NOW I AM I REALLY AM AND TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT.

IT'S LIKE, IT MEANS A LOT BECAUSE NOT ONLY ME, THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH ME A VERY STRONG TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BEHIND THE SCENES DOING THE WORK, CREATING THE GRAPHICS, MY ADVISORY BOARDS, MY NON-PROFIT BOARD FOR BLACK GIRLS DON'T GET LOVE THEY'RE THE ONES SETTING UP, CLEANING UP, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DELIVER THIS UNPARALLELED EXPERIENCE ON SUCH A LARGE SCALE.

WE HAVE LIKE AT ONE TIME AT LEAST 50 GIRLS AND THE PARENTS AND THE VOLUNTEERS AND SO IT'S JUST LIKE I CAN'T TAKE ALL THE CREDIT FOR JUST WHAT OUR TEAM HAS BUILT.

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL.

>> YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE THE CREDIT BUT WHEN I SIT DOWN WITH FOLKS AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT "BEHIND THE WOMAN" AND TALKING TO FOLKS ABOUT I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT JUST WHAT IT IS YOU DO, HOW YOU GOT THERE, RIGHT?

THIS IS POWERFUL BECAUSE IT STARTS WITH Mr. T AND THIS IPAD IN THE EIGHTH GRADE.

THERE IS A SCHOLARSHIP THAT GETS YOU TO ITHACA, RIGHT AND THEN THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME OUT OF THAT, BUT IT REALLY, WHEN YOU SAID IT A FEW MINUTES AGO, STUCK WITH ME SOMETHING AS AN ARTIST FOLKS SHARE WITH ME.

THE POWER OF BEING VULNERABLE AND BY YOU, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY OPENING UP AND BEING VULNERABLE ABOUT YOUR GIRLHOOD AND EXPERIENCES AND OTHER BLACK GIRLS AND PUTTING THAT THESIS PROJECT TOGETHER IF YOU THINK ABOUT-- IT TOOK A LOT OF COURAGE I WOULD IMAGINE.

>> YES.

IT DID BUT I THINK THIS HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST BLESSING OF MY LIFE.

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE DOING NON-PROFIT WORK.

I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN THE WAY THAT I AM.

LIKE WE DO A LOT OF LIKE MEDIA STUFF BECAUSE MY BACKGROUND IS IN JOURNALISM AND FILM AND SO THAT'S A BIG PART OF EVEN WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR GIRLS ARE LEARNING HOW TO DO TO TELL THEIR OWN STORIES, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST THIS LIKE KIND OF CHANGE IN MY PATH HAS BEEN SO REWARDING AND I AM GRATEFUL TO WAKE UP EVERY DAY AND MEET THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE GOT BEHIND US, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE LIKE YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE OUT THERE, CHAMPIONING THIS CAUSE FOR YOU.

WE ARE GOING TO BE GIVING YOU IN KIND THINGS.

>> BECAUSE IT'S SO POWERFUL AND ENCOURAGING TO SEE.

DEFINITELY LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN SUPPORT.

MY LAST AND FINAL QUESTION IS IF THERE IS A YOUNG GIRL LIKE IN 10 SECONDS OR LESS, THAT'S WATCHING YOU RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL HER.

>> THAT'S A LOT OF PRESSURE.

>> THAT YOU ARE SPECIAL.

>> BECAUSE BLACK GIRLS DO GET LOVE.

>> THANK YOU, EDEN.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EDEN FOR BEING WITH US HERE THIS EVENING AND LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN TO WATCH.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW TONIGHT'S EPISODE AGAIN, OR WATCH PAST SEASONS OF THE SHOW, GO TO WCNY.ORG/BEHIND THE WOMAN.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TUNING IN TONIGHT THANK YOU TO THE "BEHIND THE WOMAN" TEAM FOR KEEPING US ON POINT.

AND WE WILL BE BACK SOON.

♪ ♪