She’s Out There

May 15, 2009

When enlightened men signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence, refusing to be governed by a king claiming divine rights of superiority, the idea that all men were created equal was a progressive one. At the time, of course, the concept didn’t apply universally to everyone. But as a nation, this idea of equality for all, away from serfdoms and enforced servitude, had universal appeal. And making equality real for all citizens has shaped the history and struggles of our American nation.

When an African-American man and a White woman battled for the Democratic nomination in 2008, the idea that All Were Created Equal, took on new meaning. Documentary filmmaker Amy Sewell sensed this new political landscape and has edited a series of essays in a book titled, She’s Out There — 35 Women Under 35 Who Aspire To Lead: The Next Generation Of Presidential Candidates. She’s also joined by essayist Agxibel Barajas, a law student at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and one of the book’s essayists.

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For young Latinas, role models are sometimes difficult to find. Too often, Hispanic girls lack resources to develop to their full potential. In Austin, Texas, a non-profit has created a mentorship program, pairing Latina girls and teens, to help develop their leadership through journalism. It’s the mission of Latinitas to empower Latina youth through media and technology with the goal of informing, entertaining, and inspiring young Latinas to grow into healthy, confident, and successful adults.

Since 2002, the Latinitas program has produced an online magazine — or E-Zine — produced and written by youth. Recently, the online magazine has gone to traditional print.

KUT’s Crystal Chavez profiles the journalistic training program and some of the girls involved.

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Watch a Slideshow of the Latinitas program as you listen:

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The Music of Maya Azucena

Musical artist Maya Azucena believes that music is a tool for healing and activism. This Brooklyn-based soul-singer has toured the world and shared the stage with some of the most well-known musical artists from the worlds of R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Rock. She is so eclectic that she shared in a 2008 Grammy Award for a Reggae collaboration with Stephan Marley. In the spring of 2008, Maya and her band did a 5-week U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of Myanmar (Burma), China, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, as part of The Rhythm Road/American Music Abroad program. They did concerts as well as music workshops in an effort to create cultural exchange.

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Watch this 11-minute long music-filled documentary of Maya Azucena on VIMEO.