Empowered : Black Women Pioneering Futures, and GenAI
“You can’t be what you can’t see.” It’s a quote often attributed to one of the heroines of tennis Billie Jean King though deeper research reveals its source to be civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman.
Elderman’s many accolades include first Black woman to be admitted to the Mississippi bar and the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF).
The quote was an anchor for the project “Empowered” with knowledge of Black women’s historical marginalisation, lack of representation in a spectrum of fields, and systemic barriers. My two sisters and mum were also my inspiration.
I’m sandwiched between two loving sisters whom as I write are fulfilling their dreams back in Ghana, building a school for 5–10 year olds. Both left well paid jobs in the UK and their employers in some shock. Ama and Diane could see what they want to be.
My mother, came to the UK in the 1950s. She worked for the the National Health Service. She did not share stories of her struggle, except one day at Breakfast in the kitchen. At that moment realising the gravity of the occasion, I pressed “audacity” on my Mac. It’s a sobering talk about what she experienced.
I shared thoughts of Black women empowerment with a friend Dr Carlton Brown imagining a day when a Black woman could be president of the US and Prime Minister of the UK. Dr Brown is an entrepreneur behind the UK’s leading entrepreneur event, the UK Black Business Entrepreneurs Conference.
He asked if I could produce a film. No ordinarily film, but one using AI. So in July before news of Kamala Harris’ presidential bid, this was shown to delegates in July opening the conference. I’ve inserted two versions.
- What delegates saw on screen, with live music from the GT Choir.
2. A contextual film showing how it fit into the conference with the GT choir.
I’m going to be writing about Empowered, integrating it into an piece on AI in @Representology ( a media diversity general between I cofounded between Cardiff University and Sir Lenny Henry’s centre for media diversity.
Amongst others, it’ll illustrate the work of an multiple Award-Winning Brit, currently exhibiting her AI work at the Oculus World Trade Center. She’s also acclaimed as one of the top 50 Doc makers in the UK. She’s so huge and modest.
