30 MAR 2016
HOW ONE WOMAN
IS WORKING
TO CHANGE NEGATIVE
REPRESENTATIONS OF
BLACK WOMEN
IN THE MEDIA.
It all started in 2012. Reality star Evelyn Lozada had been
involved in a domestic violence incident with her then fiancé
Chad Johnson, during which she claimed he head-butted
her. Despite the fact that images of Lozada’s injuries — a
large gash on her forehead, were widely circulated, many
blamed her for her injuries, claiming that she somehow
incited Johnson.This particular incident, and the discussions
surrounding it, struck a chord with activist and filmmaker
Si Lai Abrams. Through her work as a writer and public
speaker, Abrams has always been outspoken about the need
for better representation of black women in the media. She
also works for change through Truth in Reality the non-profit
organization that she founded. In collaboration with Truth in
Reality, Abrams is also producing a new documentary,
Redefining HERstory, which she hopes will bring attention
to the negative and unbalanced portrayals of black women
in the media.
involved in a domestic violence incident with her then fiancé
Chad Johnson, during which she claimed he head-butted
her. Despite the fact that images of Lozada’s injuries — a
large gash on her forehead, were widely circulated, many
blamed her for her injuries, claiming that she somehow
incited Johnson.This particular incident, and the discussions
surrounding it, struck a chord with activist and filmmaker
Si Lai Abrams. Through her work as a writer and public
speaker, Abrams has always been outspoken about the need
for better representation of black women in the media. She
also works for change through Truth in Reality the non-profit
organization that she founded. In collaboration with Truth in
Reality, Abrams is also producing a new documentary,
Redefining HERstory, which she hopes will bring attention
to the negative and unbalanced portrayals of black women
in the media.
Redefining HERstory ™ is a groundbreaking feature-length documentary that aims to re-affirm the power and redefine the dominant media narrative of one of the world’s most exploited demographics: Black and Afro-Latina women and girls. We envision our film will expose the truth about the origin and damage of these images, explore the diversity and beauty of Black womanhood, encourage adults and young people to make informed, thoughtful decisions about the media they consume, and spark a national dialogue on the need to diversify the existing images of Black and Afro-Latina women across all media platforms.
Watch a trailer for Redefining HERstory below and contribute to the project’s crowdfunding campaign HERE.