Creator Marie Tagbo

Director Jasiah Washington

Written Marie Tagbo & Alyssa Goodwin

Director of Photography Ariana Marie

Editor Ali Soltan

Starring

Melody Alyssa Goodwin

Vice Principal Hartley Ryan Cooper

Mary Jada Saxton

Adam Harry MacInnis

Crew

Producer / 1st AD Marie Tagbo

Pass Van Driver Jasmin Sinclair Prophete

Gaffer Max Goodman

Sound Mixer Kendi King & Peyton Freeney

Boom Operator Hannah Minaya

Production Assistant Madeleine Kern

Production Assistant Jasmin Sinclair Prophete

Costume Marie Tagbo

Production Design Marie Tagbo

Art Decor Lauren Sloan

Post Production

Music Composition Noah Penkrat

Sound Design Alexa Su

Color Grading Ariana Marie

Color Supervision Patrice D. Bowman

With Special Thanks To

The Hear Us and Tisch Creative Student Research Fund

Especially Dana Whitco & Adrienne Henry for their support

Yamilee Toussaint (Stem From Dance) for her mentorship

And for the help of the Collaborative Arts Faculty Members

Gustavo Aguilar

Rebecca

Mary Bitel

William Tunnicliffe

Sarah Ryndak

Jori Johnson

NYU Grad Costume Department, specifically Daun Lee Fallon for donating clothes.

And to the Dean Allyson Green

Thank you to:

Adeola Olagbegi

Alexia Williams

Toyin Nwafor

Jenna Mackouse

Totianna Bushnell

Kent Curry

Lara Johnson

Ebun Adebonojo

Tana Inskeep

Brig Johnson

Jill Curry

Gabe Sheets

Hilda Aluko

Natalie Nielson

Porsha Trisdorfer

Biljana Vishnagara

Karen Anderson

Hear Us Grant

Tisch Creative Research Fund

For your contributions and support. You make our work possible.

I, (Marie Tagbo) began this project two years ago, with a research idea to look at and interview Black Girls in Private High Schools. Through NYU I began to speak and have conversations with young black women about the ups, the downs, the sexism, the racism, the classism that they might have experienced. What I found was a beautifully nuanced array of stories and experiences that in many ways resembled what I had experienced in Private High School, or PWIs, “Pretty White Institutions' and in other ways differed. I kept feeling like, someone should be telling these girls stories! Like, how come I have to watch Tall Girl and yet the real lives journeys of young black women in private high school, it’s never explored? And so that’s where I came up with the idea of “The Black School Girl Project.”

I pitched the idea to the amazing and unbelievably talented Jasiah (Director), Ariana (Cinematographer), and Alyssa (Co-Writer, who thankfully all agreed to join in the project. Jasiah brought vision to the visuals, and she would eventually be the glue that held the project together. Ariana brought expertise, and passion, creating stunning visuals in the trickiest of circumstances, and Alyssa brought the flair and the personality both to the script and to her portrayal of the main character. This project would not exist without them.

I applied for the Tisch Creative Research Fund in 2021 and secured a $500 grant for a filmed interview with “Marissa” Inspired by Marissa's story of confronting her Vice Principal, I co-wrote a short film script with another student in Collaborative Arts for the website. In my junior year, I pitched the project to NYU's 2022 Hear Us Grant, securing full funding. My inspiration was becoming a reality.

In 2023, I screened "The Black School Girl Project" hosting a mixer for underrepresented students, with funding opportunities. Over 40 students attended, and the film's message of standing up for one's beliefs resonated with the audience. The Black School Girl project is my manifestation of commitment, clarity, and integrity in transformative film. This film is a representation that prioritizing artistic spaces that include all voices can help heal both the creators and the audience members alike.

Marie Tagbo is a writer and producer whose work focuses on black women and amplifying their stories through emerging forms of media like Television and the Internet. She is devoted to portrayed the experiences of those who live through classism, sexism, and racism in the same body.

Alyssa Goodwin is a graduate of Tisch studying Collaborative Arts. She’s a multidisciplinary artist and activist who prides herself on creating personal, meaningful work exploring all facets of identity and what it means to exist in our current social sphere. She’s constantly exploring new disciplines that will allow her to further elevate her work. Alyssa has a deep passion for storytelling and is devoted to spotlighting and uplifting other marginalized people, especially other artists. She’s constantly exploring new ways to be an activist through her art and create work for change.

Jasiah Denise Washington, native of Atlanta, GA. She is in the Stern-Tisch business and film dual degree program where she will graduate college with a BFA in Film, and BS in Business. With hopes to own her own production company and start her own business, Jasiah constantly has her feet in two worlds at once. Since highschool she’s been a writer, entrepreneur, athlete, filmmaker, and activist. Jasiah has several early career achievements such as: An IMDB credit for being a Set Production Assistant on the independent feature film The Re-Education of Molly Singer, being an actor and writer for the comedy sketch group Comic Sans at NYU, and stepping into the world of music video producing. Despite Jasiah’s accomplishments she still remains true to why she creates in the first place; to uplift voices and tell stories that help people understand each other rather than create more division.

Ariana Marie is a student at Film/Television at New York University. Her credits includeThe Cinema School, the Ghetto Film School where she earned the position of Director of Photography for major projects such as the partnership with The Frick Collection and an international thesis in Rome. Ariana’s work spawns from a motivation to share underrepresented stories, constantly advocating for diversity in front and behind the camera. Hailing from the Bronx, she is very proud of her neighborhood and is never shy to represent her background. Ariana has previous experience with Amazon Prime Studios, Walt Disney Studios, and Weiden+Kennedy.