Daphne Valerius facts for kids

Daphne Valerius is a talented filmmaker who was born in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in Rhode Island. She is most famous for making the 2007 documentary film The Souls of Black Girls. Daphne Valerius has also worked on TV shows for big networks like ABC, FOX, and BET.

Education and Research

Early Studies and Interests

Daphne Valerius went to St. John's University. In 2003, she earned a degree in communications. While she was a student there, she started learning how to produce and direct films. She became very interested in how media images affect women of color. As a Ronald McNair Scholar, she studied self-esteem and self-confidence for her college research.

Advanced Degrees and Media Studies

Valerius continued her studies at Emerson College, where she earned a master's degree in broadcast journalism in 2006. For her excellent work, she received an Associated Press Award.

Later, in 2021, Daphne Valerius earned her PhD from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her research focuses on how media messages, like films and digital videos, can influence how people see different groups. She believes that how people are shown in media really matters. For example, her PhD research looked at how Black women are shown in media and how this might affect what Black men think about partners. This research showed that media and personal experiences both play a part in how we see each other.

Filmmaking Work

The Souls of Black Girls Documentary

As part of her journalism program at Emerson College, Daphne Valerius created a news documentary called The Souls of Black Girls. She had a very small budget, so she borrowed all the cameras, lights, and editing tools from her college.

The film explores how women of color have been shown in media throughout history and today. It also looks at beauty standards. The documentary includes interviews with young women about their body image. It also features well-known African-Americans like Regina King, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gwen Ifill, Chuck D, Michaela Angela Davis, and Juanita Jennings.

The film's title is a nod to the famous book The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois. Valerius said that her film shares the feelings and stories of people who have been hurt, and that these are stories only they can truly tell.

The documentary was very popular. It first showed at the 2007 Pan African Film Festival. It was also shown at other festivals, including the Roxbury Film Festival, the Harlem International Film Festival, and the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival. At the Martha's Vineyard festival, it won the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary. It was also available to watch on AOL Black Voices.

After being shown at the National Council of Negro Women and getting the attention of activist Dorothy Height, the film became an important part of the "My Black is Beautiful" tour, which was supported by Procter & Gamble.

Television Projects

In 2010, Valerius worked as an associate producer for the show My Black is Beautiful on BET. She has also been an associate producer or researcher for projects with MGM Television and ABC Television Group.

Awards and Recognition

In 2010, Daphne Valerius was invited to the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama. The First Lady congratulated her on her important work.

Valerius has been asked to speak at several events about social issues affecting women. These include a panel at the National Council of Negro Women's meeting in 2008 and another at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Leadership Conference in 2016.

In 2007, Valerius joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at the Theta Psi Omega chapter in Providence, Rhode Island.