Girls of Color: Voice and Vision Grant Recipients

KFW is proud to announce the Girls of Color: Voice and Vision grantees! The purpose of this grant is to elevate the voices and lived experiences of girls of color through shared stories and art making. These inspiring artists and organizations in Kentucky are creating space where the diverse voices and perspectives of girls of color can be valued and heard.

• La’Shelle Allen/ Sistah LaLa Productions (Lexington): $7,250 to engage girls in a songwriting, arranging, and audio/video production workshop addressing the impact of sexual violence on a personal and societal level. Participants will explore voice and activism through music and video creation. They will develop communication, presentation, and leadership skills both in the context of small peer group work (artistic collaboration) and in promoting their art in the community.
• Hannah L. Drake (Louisville): $3,500 to work with middle school girls of color to use art and poetry to transform school bathrooms with words of encouragement and positivity. The girls will be able to read words from their fellow students that are uplifting and encouraging, transforming a negative space into a space of affirmation. Participating in the project will empower girls of color to reclaim this space and take control of the stories, images and messages they encounter in their everyday lives.
• Regina “Pega Pega” Harris (Lexington): $3,300 to engage girls in an eight-week Capoeira program, in partnership with Grupo Balanca Capoeira Of Lexington, during which girls will tell their stories through movement, combining martial arts with dance. The program will allow participants to connect with one another and express their individuality through movement. Those who complete the program will go into their communities with increased confidence and tools with which to create change.
• DaMaris B. Hill (Lexington): $7,500 to provide a writers workshop for young women of color, led by Black feminist writers. Participants will create non-fiction works using artistic practices associated with remix and pastiche. The workshop will encourage Black girls and young women of color to use their voices in a 21st century context. The work they create will be a catalyst for social change in Kentucky and beyond.
• La Casita Center/ Latina Teens Program (Louisville): $7,500 to provide opportunities for Latina teens to explore their identity, recognize societal demands and expectations, and nurture their creativity through dialogue and craft-making. The program, ASI SOY YO (This is who I am), will be led by Latina artist Ada Asenjo. Program participants will work with peers and mentors who look like them. The work they create will inspire other Latina teens to share their voices so they can be heard by adults in their communities.
• Upper Town Heritage Foundation/ The Hotel Metropolitan (Paducah): $2,629 to conduct a series of art workshops to highlight the stories, voices and artistic expression of girls of color in Paducah. Participants will learn about women leaders of color in their own communities, and develop and perform skits based on the topics that affect them. Through this process they will gain the confidence and skills they need to become future leaders.
• The Louisville Urban League (Louisville): $7,500 to engage middle school age Black girls in weekly workshops focusing on cultural heritage, identity, and creative expression, culminating in a book which will highlight the uniqueness, complexity, and validity of Black girlhood. The workshops will provide an outlet for Black girls to shift the narrative and tell their own stories. The book will provide a tool through which their voices can be heard and honored in the community.
• Portia White (Louisville): $7,500 to engage middle and high school age girls in the collective creation of a dance piece that incorporates contemporary, hip-hop and African styles, in response to the question, “Why is my voice necessary?” The dance will be performed at multiple locations in Louisville’s Shawnee neighborhood. The project will provide a space for girls of color to explore their own voices through dance. The performance will provide a platform for their voices to be heard and inspire others in the community to speak as well.
• Arcea Zapata de Aston/ Young Latina Leaders: Voces en Acción (Owensboro): $7,500 to engage young women and girls of color in art activities including music, painting, dance, photography, and creative writing, in partnership with EDUCA (Educational and Cultural Advancement for Latinos) and the Owensboro Museum of Science and History. The program will provide opportunities particularly for young Latina women and girls to connect with one another, explore their voices through creative expression, and develop the skills needed to mentor and support other girls and young women of color in their community.