USC Ph.D Student Launches Photography Camp and Responsible Social Media Initiative for Teen Girls
June 23, 2014
The #NoFilter Project Encourages Empowerment Art In Traditional and Emerging Media
COLUMBIA, SC – For concerned parents, there is now an added layer to keeping children safe in an increasingly digital world. Studies show that online bullying, exposure to enhanced photos, and other types of irresponsible social media use have adverse effects on users’ self-esteem, body image, and relationships with others. In a time when anyone within reach of a smartphone has the power to change a life for better or worse with a single snapshot, The #NoFilter Project exists to chart a positive course in Columbia.
The #NoFilter Project founder and coordinator, Tiye Gordon, is a Knoxville, Tennessee, native and current Ph.D candidate at the University of South Carolina. As a student of 19th century U.S. consumer society and African-American women’s history, Gordon is on a mission to combat negative stereotypes and misrepresentations of women of color in pop-culture and mainstream (social) media. “Historically, girls and women of color have been silenced and subjected to accept mainstream standards of beauty created by society. The #NoFilter Project was created in order to give young girls of color a voice and a public platform to examine elements of African-American beauty against negative media portrayals and societal misperceptions,” says Gordon.
In the social media context, using the hashtag symbol before a term allows users platform-wide to browse all content associated with the term. The hashtag #NoFilter is commonly used on image-sharing networks to describe a completely unedited photo that highlights raw beauty and communicates a sense of unapologetic authenticity.
The #NoFilter Project will be held every Friday evening from July 11th – August 1st from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at North Springs Park, 1320 Clemson Road, Columbia, SC 29229. During weekly discussions and activities led by local leaders and thought innovators, campers will cover issues ranging from self-esteem and body image to entrepreneurship and social responsibility. Campers will also receive formal instruction from local photographers Patrick Oates and Chanelle Johnson. The Project will wrap up with a final art exhibit to be held on Saturday, August 9th.
The cost for participation is $45, and camper applications are available online at www.TheNoFilterProject.com. Cameras will be provided by Patrick Oates Photography. For media inquiries or more information on participation as a camper or sponsor, please contact Ms. Gordon at (803) 667-7804 or [email protected].
