By Bridget Sykes
Khanya Brann is a senior at Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Flourtown, PA. Having lived in both Trinidad and Montreal, Khanya is fluent in French. She is a writer and is interested in visual arts. She plans to continue uplifting her community through her wr there is a need for such a program?
Khanya Brann: I am currently the executive editor of the Uniquely You Summit blog. UYS is an organization that works to “help black girls uniquely define, discover, and become who they are” through an annual summit and a year-long leadership series. The blog is “by black girls, for black girls” and that is the main reason I wanted to become a part of the editorial team. I find that our (black girls, women) voices are often ignored by mainstream media, or we are forcefed images of black women that are derogatory and harmful to our self esteem and communal self perception. We are so much more than what they make us our to be on reality shows and music videos. It all started with us, pretty much.
BS: What made you interested in this program?
KB: My mom signed me up for the first Uniquely You Summit in 2011 because she wanted me to meet black girls in the area. I wasn’t thrilled about it at first, but it was such a positive experience that I attended all the subsequent summits. In 2013 I was selected to be a UYS Cover Girl, a position that allowed me to promote UYS and share my experiences with other black girls.
BS: Who do you draw inspiration from?
KB: Maya Angelou and any other black woman out there kicking ass at what they do inspires me. The 2014 Summit was dedicated to Dr. Maya Angelou. Through UYS I have been exposed to so many black women who are actively working to create positive change in our community.
BS: What other hobbies do you have?
KB: I enjoy poetry, photography, traveling.
BS: How have your interests shaped your career goals or plans for the future?
KB: I have many aspirations including becoming a traveling journalist, a producer of photography books of these travels or a producer short films of my travels.
Khanya is truly a “girl to watch.” Her self motivation and talent for writing shines through her vivacious, enthusiastic personality. We wish her the best of luck in all future endeavors! Her work can be viewed at uysgirls.tumblr.com and more information about Uniquely You Summit can be found at uniquelyyousummit.org