Black women have been making strides in various industries, and film and journalism are no exception. With the rise of diverse voices in the media, Black women are beginning to take their place in telling their stories, creating art, and documenting history.
Ihunmehai Isaac and Sosa Eweka are two young Black women in the film and journalism industry who are heralding the voices of black women globally in these industries, shining the light on their remarkable contributions and holding the lampstand for other black women to find their way in the industry.
Ihunmehai Isaac, also known as Ihums, is a Video Editor and Producer. She is an alumnus of The New School, New York, where she got her MS degree in the Media Management program. She works in the post-production team at an Emmy-nominated full-service production company based in Brooklyn, New York.
Ihums has worked on several interesting projects like ASPCA, SoundMind, and TikTok Boom which was featured at Sundance Film Festival, she has also had the pleasure of working as assistant director on the highly acclaimed Donut Kid on Amazon prime, and producer on a short that pays tribute to Jack Nicholson titled Bonic Jack which was at the Berlin Indie Festival.
She also produces a podcast titled Gradlife Uncut, where students and past students who have gone through the graduate school ecosystem share their insights about grad school. Ihums has a background in Accounting but quickly transitioned to media because of her passion for creating clean and relatable content. She desires to use the content she produces to create relatable and quality content that will speak to her generation.
On the other hand, Sosa Eweka-Valentine, the founder of Talks with Sosa, a public speaking platform, seeks to bring experts to discuss various issues, from social justice to mental health.
She is also the founder of Salt City Advocacy Society, a not-for-profit society with the purpose of creating a better environment for refugees and new immigrants, most especially women and children of African descent. Her hobbies include biking and reading.
These two women hosted an event featuring three guest speakers: Macha Rose, Amei-Lee Laboucan, and Soré Agbaje. One side of the trio is Macha Rose, a storyteller, director, and producer who designs beautifully staged scenes that evoke authentic performances. Macha has worked in media for the last ten years creating dynamic video content and is comfortable with storytelling from start to finish. With everything she does, she brings an Oakland influence with a Brooklyn flair.
The other is Amei-Lee Laboucan, a current second-year Master of Arts student at the University of Alberta studying Indigenous Feminism. Her thesis focuses on representations of Indigenous women in legacy newspapers across Canada. Amei-Lee is also a published journalist with bylines in several publications such as IndigiNews, New Trail Magazine, The Tyee, Black Press, and The Runner and holds a Bachelor of Journalism from KPU and an Associate of Arts degree from Douglas College.
The third guest is Soré Agbaje, who performed some beautiful poems is a Nigerian-American poet and activist who uses poetry as a means of narrative justice. She has performed for Adidas in their “Don’t Be Quiet Please” campaign in conjunction with Pharell Williams and the US Open, been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America and UN Women, and performed at various venues, including the Embassy of Canada, Apollo Theatre, and Lincoln Centre. Soré has also toured Germany and Austria and performed at the women’s delivery conference.
The event included speeches from each guest speaker, a water break, and a panel discussion. The event aimed to provide insight into the experiences of Black women in film and journalism, the challenges they face, and their triumphs. The panel discussion allowed attendees to ask questions and engage with the speakers further.
Participants in the Black girls in Films and Journalism event praised the organizers for their efforts to provide valuable insights and guidance to black individuals trying to establish themselves in the film and journalism industry.
Seyi Fakoya, the co-founder of Gamr, appreciated the event as a great opportunity to learn about the skills required to break into the industry, such as effective communication, networking, finding mentors, and developing a unique personal brand. Throughout the event, Ihunmehai and Sosa’s team provided detailed insights through multiple sessions on how to build skills and establish a solid foundation in the industry.
The panel discussion, which featured experienced industry professionals sharing their personal experiences and advice on navigating the challenges of being a black person in the industry, was a highlight of the event for Seyi.
Fisayo Okare, a journalist at Documented, found the webinar to be very insightful and well-organized, with expert speakers sharing valuable insights. She particularly enjoyed Soré Agbaje’s opening poem and Macha Beard-Harper’s presentation on the need for more authenticity in the industry. She said something in her presentation Fisayo couldn’t forget, and thought it was very key “Find Who represents you and BE the representation for someone else”.
Beyond this, Fisayo was inspired by Ihunmehai Isaac’s speech on the critical role of video editors in the film industry and found her journey to becoming a video editor to be motivating for others aspiring to similar roles. Fisayo also commended Sosa Eweka and Ihunmehai Isaac for their excellent hosting, keeping the conversation flowing smoothly throughout the event.
Another participant, Paul Adebame, a student at the University of Benin, expressed gratitude towards the organizers for putting together the program on black women in film and journalism. Being of Nigerian descent, he found the insights and experiences shared by the diverse and talented group of women to be impactful. Paul appreciated the effort put into creating such an inspiring and insightful program and hopes to see more events like this in the future.
Black women are making strides in the film and journalism industry, and it is essential to celebrate their achievements and continue to provide opportunities for them to tell their stories. Isaac and Eweka are examples of Black Girls In Film and Journalism that seek to elevate the voices of Black women in media. As society continues to move towards a more diverse and inclusive future, it is important to amplify the voices of those who have been marginalized for too long.
