LSA and Music, Theatre &
Dance sophomore Tal Kamin
started We Are Queens, a female
empowerment
organization,
while reflecting on her summer
experiences
in
the
theater
industry.
“I was talking to my best
friend the night before it all
started,” Kamin said. “We were
talking about our experiences,
whether that be in relationships
or professional pursuits, and
started realizing how hard it was
for us to not feel like we were
constantly being labeled for our
behavior in whatever capacity
that meant.”
It was during that conversation
that
Kamin
realized
how
common it was for girls her age to
put themselves down and focus
on the negativity in their lives.
With a desire to change what she
felt had become a social norm,
Kamin was inspired to create a
30-day challenge.
This was the official initiative
that jumpstarted what has now
become the We Are Queens
organization. On Aug. 9, the
GroupMe
30-day
challenge
called “Bridge the GAP” was
launched. Girls would share one
thing they were grateful for,
one affirmation and one thing
they were proud of through
an ongoing public group chat.
With 400 females joining the
challenge from across the world
in just two days, Kamin realized
the power of having a strong
community of females and the
potential to take this further.
“Our mission was and still
is about empowering young
females individually, fostering
a community in that realm and
giving back to the rest of society,”
Kamin said.
As a female empowerment
organization, We Are Queens
seeks to create change through
events, social media movements,
benefit performances and other
activities that foster a safe space
for women to feel confident in
themselves in a world that may
otherwise put them down.
According
to
Kamin,
the
values of We Are Queens, as well
as the initial 30-day challenge,
make it appealing to a global
audience. She explained that
the positivity of the community
fosters its growth, rather than a
formalized business plan
or
an
entrepreneurial
strategy.
“It really does come from
a pure place of wanting to
make a difference,” Kamin
said. “It’s not driven by
capitalistic desires. The
fact that I am a human and
I am relatable makes this a
platform where girls want
to join not only because
they are seeking help or
see this as a groupie, but
they understand that this
is an opportunity to come
to terms with themselves
alongside other girls.”
For Kamin, We Are
Queens has also become
an outlet to reflect on
her
personal
values.
Kamin said the culture
of the dance industry
has trained her to be
hyperware of potential
flaws and competition.
“Within
the
dance
community, where you’re
constantly
auditioning,
constantly
looking
at
yourself in the mirror
and criticizing yourself while
being compared to other girls,
I saw that the dynamic of self
worth and self value was not
as strong as it could and should
be,” Kamin said.
Music, Theatre & Dance
senior Emily Goodrich is the
marketing director for We Are
Queens and met Kamin through
the school. Sympathetic to
the pressures that initially led
Kamin to create the challenge
initiative, Goodrich was drawn
toward the mission statement
values.
“I love her cause to get women
together to encourage each other
in such a demanding industry,”
Goodrich said. “We tend to
gravitate towards competition
but I think this could be the
wave of the future, for teaching
like-minded females to support
and encourage one another.”
Having
compiled
an
executive team of six women,
including
Goodrich,
Kamin
is planning on adding more
tangible events to showcase
the power of empowerment
and self-love. Expanding into
industries beyond what she
is familiar with
– dance and
theater – she hopes to create
a movement that is open to
everyone.
In just two months, We Are
Queens has produced two music
videos: one to Beyoncé’s “Run
The World” and another to
P!nk’s “Hustle”, which focused
on a more intimate journey of
female self-discovery.
“The Beyoncé music video
really went viral and was our
first public social media event,”
Kamin said. “We had hundreds
of comments and views and this
was a really tangible way for us
to use art specifically to get the
word out.”
FEMINIST IDE NTITIES
2A — Thursday, October 10, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily
Stamps Gallery Director Srimoyee Mitra interviews Lucy Lippard and Faith Wilding at a Penny Stamps Speaker Series event about writing and
feminist identities at the University of Michigan Museum of Art Thursday..
NIKKI KIM
Daily Staff Reporter
Tal Kamin startes We Are Queens, aimed at spreading positivity through events, social media movements
LSA and SMTD sophomore creates
female empower organization
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i hate ALL science classes at
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the difference between msu
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