Join hosts Monique Velasquez and Piper Kessler for an inspiring

conversation with Shaunelle Curry—educator, author, and founder of Media

Done Responsibly. From starting her first nonprofit at age 6 to

teaching 20,000+ youth about media literacy and digital wellbeing,

Shaunelle shares why preserving marginalized stories isn't just about

history—it's about our future in an AI-driven world.

In This Episode:

The "Trash Picker Uppers": How a 6-year-old's nonprofit shaped a

lifetime of activism

Why representation in media is a human rights issue, not just diversity

checkbox

The shocking radio incident that sparked a nationwide movement

How young people are leading the charge for ethical AI and digital

wellness

The urgent need to preserve marginalized stories before AI learns

without them

Creating safe spaces for difficult conversations across cultural divides

Key Timestamps:

01:21 - Introduction to Shaunelle Curry

04:45 - The Trash Picker Uppers story

08:40 - What is HELP (Hello Elevated Life Purpose)?

17:06 - The "nappy headed" incident that changed everything

27:07 - Why inclusion matters systemically

37:13 - Connecting people across ideologies through storytelling

46:03 - What young people face that we never did

48:18 - The AI warning: "We're not only erasing history, we're erasing

our future"

Powerful Quote: "If AI learns off of public records that we are now

deleting and erasing, we are not only erasing history, we are erasing

our future."

About Our Guest: Shaunelle Curry is the founder of Media Done

Responsibly and professor of journalism, TV, film, and media studies.

Creator of "Shattered Glass" and author of "Shairi's Journey Through

Darkness Into Light," she's equipped over 20,000 underestimated youth

with media literacy rooted in justice and care.

Connect with Shaunelle: Website: shaunellecurry.com Organization: Media

Done Responsibly App: MDR Hub and Innovation Lab

Production: Velasquez Media - LGBTQ women-owned, Latino-led video

production

#MediaLiteracy #RepresentationMatters #DigitalWellbeing #AIEthics #StorytellingForChange #SocialEntrepreneur #MediaDoneResponsibly #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalJustice #DiversityInMedia #CulturalPreservation #WomenInMedia #ChangeTheReel #VelasquezMedia #AuthenticVoices