Daphne Valerius facts for kids

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

Learning and Media

Daphne Valerius went to St. John's University. She studied communications and graduated in 2003. While she was a student, she started making and directing films. She became very interested in how media images affect women, especially women of color.

As a Ronald McNair Scholar, Daphne researched how people feel about themselves. She continued this research when she earned her master's degree in broadcast journalism from Emerson College in 2006. Her work earned her an Associated Press Award.

Daphne earned her PhD in Mediated Communication in 2021. She studied how media messages, like films and digital content, shape how people view different groups. Her research shows that what we see in media can affect how we understand each other. This means that how people are shown in media really matters.

Her Work

The Souls of Black Girls

As part of her journalism studies, Daphne made a documentary called The Souls of Black Girls. She borrowed all the cameras and editing tools from her college. The film looked at how women of color have been shown in media, both in the past and now. It explored beauty standards.

The film included interviews with young women about their body image. Famous people like Regina King, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Gwen Ifill were also interviewed. The film's name is a nod to the book The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois.

Daphne said the film shares the feelings and stories of those who have been affected. She felt it was important for them to tell their own story. The film was very popular. It first showed at the 2007 Pan African Film Festival. It also played at other festivals, winning an award at the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival. It was also shown online on AOL Black Voices.

After being shown to the National Council of Negro Women, the film caught the eye of activist Dorothy Height. It then became a big part of the "My Black is Beautiful" tour, supported by Procter & Gamble.

Television Work

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

Recognition

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

Daphne has been asked to speak on many panels about issues facing women. These include a panel at the National Council of Negro Women in 2008. She also spoke at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Leadership Conference in 2016.

In 2007, Daphne joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in Providence, Rhode Island.