Fighting back against stereotypes
Tired of pervasive media images that she said portrayed young African-American women solely as loose, gyrating, uneducated "hootchie mamas," Chicago mom Wanda Muhammad developed a television show to inform and inspire young people to make positive choices regarding health, education and careers.
"They didn't have shows that showed them sounding articulate and about going to school," she said. "Usually, what they see is someone getting killed and becoming mothers out of wedlock."
(Keith Hale/Sun-Times)
Since the first broadcast in 2006, Muhammad has expanded the program, which airs on public access CAN TV's Channel 21, to include young males. She changed the name from "Let's Talk, Baby Girl" to "Shaping Young Minds."
Involved teens work as hosts, panelists and in production. Show production alumni include a Harpo Studios intern, a Miss Teen Illinois/USA pageant contestant and an Eastern Illinois University communications major. Muhammad's daughter, Sumayyah, worked as director before going to college.
Muhammad looks for sponsors for the career day-type broadcasts, but has been footing the bill herself.
Cheryl V. Jackson
Source: http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1163410,CST-NWS-better15.article#
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