Black Belt 100 Lenses

The mission of the Black Belt 100 Lenses project is To give youth a voice and a forum to raise and address issues that affect them and their community through analyzing and depicting the culture of the Black Belt region The Black Belt 100 Lenses project is enacting this mission in the following ways: Enabling students to explore and document the culture of their region through photography, while creating dialogue both internally and externally Conducting the program in each of the twelve counties in the Black Belt Community Foundation's service area Determining issues and areas of concern to aid the Black Belt Community Foundation in its mission to improve the quality of life for Black Belt residents Providing youth with an opportunity to develop their personal and social identities enabling them to become positive agents within their communities Vision To establish a network of citizens, who through cultural analysis and both visual and written expression, are committed to improving the quality of life in the Black Belt The Black Belt 100 Lenses project is pursuing this vision in the following ways: Generating discussion about the Black Belt region through photography, exhibitions, short documentary films, and website Producing materials that provide meaningful insight and resources that will be used to educate policy makers and outside organizations Educating children and other residents about public policy and methods of influencing change Creating financial sustainability through sales of produced materials and private donations by interested individuals