Watch Trailer
The film
The documentary explores the marginalization and associated harms experienced during Black girlhood and celebrates the resilience and strength found in adulthood. Experience the power and beauty of black girlhood through a film that showcases our stories, struggles, and triumphs.
About the Event
FILM PREMIER
Watch the Essence of Black Girlhood at the Guild Theater.
ART WALK
See the art walk with local Sacramento Black artists.
STREET FESTIVAL
Experience a vibrant street festival with food, music, vendors, and games.
$500 Stipend to Artists!
This opportunity is open to all California artists and creatives, with preference to Sacramento neighborhoods of Meadowview, Oak Park, and Del Paso Heights. We invite you to create any art or artform in response to one of the prompts below. All art will be on public display September 1st, 2024 at Esther’s Park at 40 Acres in Oak Park, Sacramento.
Prompts:
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What does Black Girlhood mean to you?
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What does Black girlhood healing look like to you?
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What could the future for Black girls look like?
Applications are currently due! $500 Honorarium if selected.
Painters, Designers, Musicians, Hairstylists, Nail Techs, Poets, Dancers, and more!
GET INVOLVED
CAST & PRODUCTION TEAM
Film credits
Director:
Executive Producers:
Producers:
Director of Photography:
Editor:
Editing Assistant:
Videographers:
Photographer:
BTS Videographer:
BTS Photographer:
Lighting Director:
Production Sound Mixer:
Soundtracker:
PA:
Khanstoshea Zingapan
Justice2Jobs, Black Zebra Productions
Khanstoshea Zingapan, Shanalle Patterson, Sade Ajayi
Matthew Falcon, Khanstoshea Zingapan, Jeoffrey Zingapan
Jeoffrey Zingapan
Khanstoshea Zingapan
Jeoffrey Zingapan, Matthew Falcon, Julius Buyco
Melisa Kayaer, Kayaer Media
Julius Buyco, Cody Wyatt
Cody Wyatt
Ian Lee
Ian Lee
Khanstoshea Zingapan
Cody Wyatt
meet the visionaries
The Directors
Sade Ajayi
Co-Creative Director
Program Founder and Director for United College Action Network’s Girls Empowerment Mentoring and Support Program or GEMS.
“This issue is very dear to me. As a little Black girl, born and raised in Sacramento, I lived in a cycle of invisibility in which I had to seek nurturance. I always had to know better, and there was no room for mistakes. In turn, my emotional well-being, tenderness, and humanity was marginalized."
Shanalle Patterson
Co-Creative Director
Organizer, storyteller and visionary. I serve as a supervisor for a non-carceral restorative justice youth program, where I work to create transformative and healing approaches and practices for youth and young adults. I am passionate about fostering community, empowerment and positive change through restorative practices.
"Justice is not about retribution, but about healing and reconciliation."
MEET THE ON-FILM EXPERT
"Black girls deserve spaces and opportunities that accept and affirm who they are—spaces that are nurturing, caring, safe, and supportive. When we support Black girls and invest in Black girlhood, we help ensure that Black girls can grow and flourish, and we move closer towards a society that respects, values, and honors the humanity of all Black women and girls."
Dr. Sydney McKinney,
PhD, MPH, MA
Executive Director
National Black Women's Justice Institute
1000 Dean Street, Suite 101
Brooklyn, NY, 11238
(718) 715-0263
https://www.nbwji.org
MEET THE FILM MAKER
Black Zebra is a Black and Bangladeshi, disabled, queer artist that unapologetically uses the lenses of their camera to authentically share stories within community. Black Zebra was honored to have worked with a talented group of local artists in producing this film.
Khanstoshea Zingapan
Director, Producer, & Creator of Black Zebra Production
Meet the Cast
End Girl Incarceration
End Girl Incarceration...PERIOD!
Justice2Jobs' project, Essence of Black Girlhood is shining a big, bright light on ending girl incarceration. Systemic racism cycles Black girls and women through unrelenting harms. These include various forms of trauma and bias--school disciplinary action, child welfare, and criminal legal system-involvement, which we survive through resilience and adaptive behaviors, a cycle repeated throughout our lives.
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Historic anti-Black racism
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Generational Trauma
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Adaptive Survival Behaviors
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Adultification Bias/Gender Bias
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CPS Removal/Foster Care
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School Suspensions
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Girl Incarceration
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Barriers to Ability to Thrive
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Survival Resilience of Black Women
What is Adultification Bias toward Black girls?
It is the tendency of adults to percieve Black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than their white peers, from ages as young as 5 - 9 years old. It leads to...
Expectations to Act Grown
Become Prematurely Responsible
Hyper-Sexualized
Pushed Out of School
Blamed
Overpoliced
Underprotected
The Essence of Black Girlhood Project is working on a report to be issued in Fall 2024. We wanted to give you a sneak peak of why this work matters and how to get involved.
More on the Essence of Black Girlhood Project:
California's effort to end girl incarceration:
CalHHS Office of Youth and Community Restoration and Vera Institute of Justice Launch Partnership
PRESS RELEASE
Why we must end girl incarceration:
FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
@theessenceofblackgirlhood
Our Partners
