DANYA STEELE
Chairwoman, Board of Directors
Director, The Ivory Tower Project
Editor-in-Chief (2001-2002)
20-year
old Danya Steele is a prolific product of HarlemLIVE. A film producer,
journalist, editor, and public speaker, Danya has worked in online media,
radio, print, and broadcast with The AVE Magazine, Hot 97, Rolling
Stone, FOX Network, WireTap Magazine, Migente.com, The Oxford
Student, UCT Radio, and many others.
Danya got her start as editor-in-chief of HarlemLIVE at age sixteen. She came
in as a wide-eyed writer and quickly grew into much more. Danya has interviewed
BlackPlanet.com’s Omar Wasow
in that website's earliest heyday; investigated quality education in Harlem;
and, directed an undercover expose on shelters for homeless teens in New York
City.
At
seventeen, she was the headline profile for Teen People Magazine’s
"20 Teens Who Will Change The World” for her work in youth media
and advocacy and has since spoken on panels for Essence Magazine,
Columbia University’s School of Journalism, National Association of
Black Journalists, National Coalition Against Censorship, Ubuntu Education
Fund, Pew Charitable Trusts, and others. Danya lectures frequently on the
power of media literacy, the need for media reform, and representation of
various groups in pop culture.
Danya
maintains her commitment to the grassroots organization that helped launch
her career by serving as Chair of HarlemLIVE's Board of Directors -- the first
alumni, and therefore youngest member, ever elected. Already, Danya has founded
the organization's first college preparatory program, The Ivory Tower
Project, profiled by CBS and BET in spring of 2003.
Presently, she is co-producing her first full-length documentary, a discussion
on the evolving identity of young Black America, and is a staff writer for
The AVE Magazine, an urban culture publication that covers social
and political issues. Danya has studied at University of Cape Town (South
Africa) and Oxford University. Now back in the states, she is double majoring
in political science and sociology. Her website will debut in Fall '05...
Contact:
Email: DanyaSteele@aol.com /// AIM:
DanyaSteele