By HWM
Tony Award-winning actress Kara Young returned to her Harlem roots this week, bringing an afternoon of encouragement, sisterhood and big dreams to students at PS 161 Pedro Albizu Campos.
Young surprised students through Saving Our Daughters, a program dedicated to empowering young girls of color and helping them navigate barriers while pursuing their goals. During her visit, the Broadway star spoke openly about confidence, supporting one another and the importance of believing in possibilities that may seem out of reach, ABC 7 reported.
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Young, who grew up in Harlem, encouraged the students to think beyond what they see around them and to set their sights even higher.
“When you meet younger people, especially because I’m in Harlem and I’m seeing these young people of color, I want them to dream big,” the actress said.
“And I want them to dream bigger than me. But I want them to also make themselves be seen, have pride in when they say their name, and always be kind and uplift each other.”
For Young, the visit was also an opportunity to connect her own journey with the experiences of a new generation of girls growing up in the community.
Saving Our Daughters was founded in 2014 with a mission of helping girls of color build confidence, develop leadership skills and pursue their highest potential. Through its programming, participants are known as “Student Cinderellas” and are paired with women of color working in the entertainment industry, who serve as “Celebrity Godparents.”
The program provides students with opportunities to hear directly from women who have built careers in entertainment and other creative fields, giving them a closer look at the paths that can lead to professional success.
For the students, Young’s appearance offered a firsthand connection to Broadway and the entertainment industry.
“A program like ‘Saving Our Daughters is so important because we get to meet different actresses like Kara Young today,” said Sophia, one of the students.
“And we get to listen to their own perspectives and listen to how they got on Broadway and how they get to be on that big stage,” she added.
Young’s visit also underscored the importance of representation. By returning to the neighborhood where she grew up and speaking directly with young students, she offered an example of what can happen when talent, determination and opportunity come together.
For the students at PS 161, the message was clear: Dream boldly, take pride in who you are and lift others as you move forward.
For more information about Saving Our Daughters, visit SavingOurDaughters.org.
Photo via https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/headshot/Kara-Young/
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