MLK Day 2015: MTV x Look Different's #TheTalk Campaign
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
It has always been a dream of mine to work at Viacom specifically MTV. MTV has always played a major role for me wanting to join the entertainment industry. Last week, my classmate/friend Casey asked me to be apart of 'The Talk' campaign for MTV's Look Different branch. I was aprehensive at first because I know race is such a touchy subject for most people but it is a conversation that needs to happen--so I hoped on the LIRR, walked to the Viacom studios in the pouring rain and recorded my bit. Today the campaign officially aired and the feedback that we're receiving is AMAZING! The tweets, the FB comments, the Instagram comments, texts, calls--everything! I'm glad MTV took this chance and decided to air this campaign on such an important day and during a time where race is such a HUGE issue for this country. Head over to LookDifferent.org for all the videos and you can find me in the "Color Blindness" portion. :D
Unlike most people, my job was not closed today and of course I was initially upset. Like come on, for everyone this is an holiday to commerate Dr. King's legacy but instead I'm stuck at work. Although I did go to work, I think that was the best place for me to be.
I am currently a teaching assistant for Pre-Nursery, Nursery and Pre-K at the Ross School in Long Island. The Ross School is a private institution that strives on diversity and the arts. With those two main principles, I thought of a day to help these babies learn about Dr. King's legacy in a fun way.
The project was "Love Each Other" cards. They cut out hands of different colors and pasted it over a heart on the cover. On the inside they decorated peace signs and wrote their dreams. I have two girls that would like to be princesses, one wants to be an artist and another wants to be a chef. lol All great dreams if you ask me!
The older kids also held an assembly that played the infamous "I Have A Dream" speech and we sang songs in Dr. King's honor.
I'm just overjoyed because although I would consider myself an activist, I feel like I haven't done my job lately. Being apart of a national campaign and teaching kids about love beyond colors is exactly what Dr. King would have wanted.
Thank you, Dr. King for showing me the way.
