Issue link: https://trevordayschool.uberflip.com/i/1518706
A MIOW leader, Maya R. '24, introduced the Keynote Speaker Taylor K. Shaw. Ms. Shaw founded BWA Studios, the first and only animation studio designed to change the world of animation by consciously recruiting Black women and animators of color. BWA Studios is an original content house that creates and develops both adult and children's programming. It has developed award-winning digital and television campaigns for A&E, Discovery, Hulu, Mattel, and Warner Bros. Ms. Shaw also trains and develops executive, mid-level, and emerging talent to produce excellent work while also giving them the tools to center equity in their roles. Ms. Shaw is a 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list honoree and 2021 Shadow & Act Rising Executive Award Winner. Ms. Shaw centered her remarks on "The Invitation to Dream." Recalling her valedictorian speech at the age of 12, she recognized this as the first moment she was invited to dream. With supportive parents who believed she could accomplish anything, Ms. Shaw said she had "potential already realized." As a young professional, she wrote an animated series about girls "we wish we all were," but couldn't find Black women animators to bring it to life. Building BWA Studios in response was another invitation to dream. She dreamt of women and non-binary people of color working with the biggest companies in the industry to create meaningful content. The studio's motto is "Lift as we climb," which is inspired by a Toni Morrison quote. Ms. Shaw encouraged the audience to take stock of those times we were recognized for our gifts and use them to further humanity. "Honoring your own voice," she said, "gives you the power to honor other voices." Following the keynote, students and faculty moved into the heart of the day—educational workshops, most of which were developed and presented by students. In the workshop entitled "'I'm so OCD, She's so Bipolar': The Usage of Mental Illnesses as an Adjective & Why It's Damaging," student presenters discussed why colloquial usage of mental illness diagnoses is damaging: it spreads misinformation, affects real diagnoses, and belittles those who experience true mental illness. In the workshop entitled "DEI in Music: Kendrick Lamar's Identity & Evolution," the student leaders dissected themes of race, discrimination, police brutality, and humility in Lamar's lyrics and album trajectories. In "But They Were Wrong!: A Practical History & Analysis of 'Detransitioners,'" myths about trans youth were debunked (such as the notion that hormones are handed out like candy) and the pervasive fearmongering in society was called out. The presenter wondered, "Where is the outrage over the outrage?" Workshop leaders also tackled Black representation and toxic masculinity. In "Black Representation in Media" students celebrated that the standard has been raised: Black representation has made great advances, with more uplifting stories and empowerment, and a more diverse range of actors in films. They cautioned that "even though we've moved the needle, there are more steps to take" because lack of representation continues to negatively impact people's lives. In "Toxic Masculinity & Feminism" presenters covered a wide spectrum of topics from Barbie to the pink tax— the tendency for products marketed specifically toward women to be more expensive than those marketed toward men. One special workshop was co-hosted by a Class of 2002 Trevor alumna, Elisabeth Becker-Topkara, and her colleague, Asad Dandia. Dr. Becker- Topkara is a sociologist, educator, and writer, and is currently a Fellow/ Assistant Professor at the University of Heidelberg's Max Weber Institute of Sociology, and a Senior Fellow at the Yale University Center for Cultural Sociology. Her work focuses on the experiences of Jews and Muslims in Europe and the United States, as well as Muslim-Jewish relations. As a Landecker Democracy Fellow, she runs Inscribing Plurality, which brings emerging Jewish and Muslim writers together with the aim of pluralizing discourse. She is Taylor Shaw's keynote address INSIDE TREVOR TREVOR TRANSLATES FEATURE AR TICLES ALUMNI TREVOR DAY SCHOOL / 29