Daphne Valerius

Valerius attended St. John's University and earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 2003. While a student there, she had her first experiences producing and directing and began to become interested in media images and their effect on women of color. As a Ronald McNair Scholar, Valerius did her undergraduate research on self-esteem and self-confidence.

Valerius continued this research while earning her master's in broadcast journalism from Emerson College, completing that degree in 2006. For her work, she received an Associated Press Award for Public Affairs.

The Souls of Black Girls

As part of her journalism program at Emerson, Valerius produced a news documentary titled The Souls of Black Girls. With very limited budget, Valerius borrowed all needed camera, lighting, and editing equipment from the college. The film looked at historical and modern representations of women of color and the beauty standards therein. It included interviews about body image with young women as well as with prominent African-Americans including Regina King, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gwen Ifill, Chuck D, Michaela Angela Davis and Juanita Jennings.

The film's name references the W.E.B. Dubois book The Souls of Black Folk. Of the film, Valerius has said, "I think this piece resonates across race and gender because it is a piece that is the voice of the victim and not the voice of the victimizer or spokesman, it’s our hurts, our pains, our insecurities, our story that no one else can tell but us."

The film was well-received, premiering at the 2007 Pan African Film Festival and screening at festivals including the Roxbury Film Festival, the Harlem International Film Festival, and the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, where it was earned the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary. It was also shown on AOL Black Voices.

After being screened at the National Council of Negro Women and catching the attention of activist Dorothy Height, the film became a large part of the "My Black is Beautiful" tour sponsored by Procter & Gamble.

Television

In 2010, Valerius was an associate producer on My Black is Beautiful for BET. She has also worked as associate producer or researcher for projects for MGM Television and ABC Television Group.

In 2010 Valerius was invited to the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama, who congratulated her on her work.

Valerius has been invited to participate in several panels about the social issues facing women, including a panel at the National Council of Negro Women's gathering in 2008 and a panel at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Leadership Conference in 2016.