Why Project Often Reality

Project Often Reality is an initiative that launched in September of 2023, because, once upon a time, there lived a Black girl who’d had enough – of not seeing herself reflected in her favorite media, that is. That Black girl is me. This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in Youth Participatory Action Research with Beloved Community, which equipped me with both the knowledge and the tools I needed to create a research project. I decided that my topic would be representation in the media, and how various New Orleans youth internalize the things that they consume. This subject especially meant a lot to me as a Black teen, because I hardly see people who share my skin complexion, interests or elements of my culture. I’m an anime fan who speaks French, reads sci-fi fantasy novels, and listens to K-pop. 

These things aren’t traditionally represented or attributed to Black Americans, which I am.

After YPAR’s three-week program, I knew that I wanted to expand on my research project, “The Dichotomy of Diversity and The Rubix Cube Approach.” This inspired the birth of Project Often Reality, my Girl Scout Gold Award project. The Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting that involves developing and carrying out lasting solutions to issues in our neighborhoods and beyond.

Project Often Reality aims to–as the name suggests–make diverse representation for all an “often reality.” This means applying a rubix cube approach at home, in the classroom, in the workplace, and in the content that we create. My goal is to equip community members with the knowledge to adopt a thoughtful, inclusive mindset, alongside fostering confidence in youth to pursue their own projects as it relates back to the subject. Not only this, but to amplify the voices of those historically under and misrepresented, and to invite the community to diversify their media palette.