Grant recipient produces film empowering Black women
Grant recipient produces film empowering Black women
Tyra Hill knew when she heard Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ’63) talk about the Giving Voice to the Voiceless grant last year, she had to apply.
Hill had attended the Holmes-Hunter Lecture with Hunter-Gault and Helene Gayle, president of Spelman College, when she first heard about the grant.
“I was looking at the stage at these two monumental Black women and how they had impacted education higher education, and I knew right then that my story needed to be told,” Hill said. “Just understanding that Charlayne created this platform for other stories to be told through her, through her grant, really impacted me.
Hill is a recipient of a Giving Voice to the Voiceless grant for her documentary film, “You Go Girl: The Importance of Higher Education among Black Women.” The goal of the film is to inspire and empower young Black women to pursue degrees in higher education. Her film includes interviews with six Black women at UGA asking why they feel higher education is important to Black women, how higher education will support them in the future and if they feel Black women are supported in higher education, among other topics.
Hill has always received support from her parents to pursue a higher education degree, and was especially inspired by her mother. Hill understands that some students don’t receive the support she did at home.
“My mother has always told me her education is one of the most important things in the world to her, and if you want to have these great big dreams, that going to college is very important,” said Hill, who aspires to be an entertainment lawyer one day.
Hill has already received other accolades for “You Go Girl,” winning awards at the Elevate Film Festival at UGA, sponsored by the Black Theatrical Ensemble and honoring minority film. The film won awards for the Best Documentary and an Elevate Award, for the film having the most impact at the festival. Hill is in the process of submitting the film to more festivals.
The GVV grant program supports UGA students and faculty members to tell stories that amplify marginalized people or issues, advance social justice and create bonds of empathy and understanding. The GVV grant program was created and initially funded by Charlayne Hunter-Gault (AB ’62) and Ronald Gault.
Hill is now an international studies major and is minoring in law and human rights, but she started out as an Entertainment and Media Studies major after transferring from LSU. It was during an EMST 3010 class taught by James Hamilton that she found her vehicle for telling her story.
“I learned in that class that the power of film is very important, and I liked documentary over a narrative story because I feel like sometimes you need real perspectives to make an impact.”
This class also brought her together with Jaiden Arada, an EMST student, who served as co-director for the film.
“Receiving this grant was amazing to me because it made me feel like at UGA, my story was not only important but was supported,” Hill said.
Hill is currently working on her next project, “Joy,” a look at destigmatizing myths about Black men.
Author: Sarah Freeman, freemans@uga.edu.
Applications for Giving Voice to the Voiceless grants will be accepted until Nov. 1, 2024. Please see the Giving Voice to the Voiceless webpage for more details.
Giving Voice to the Voiceless