For Women’s History Month this year, SNIPES highlighted four women who have been taking over and flourishing in male-dominated spaces. We want to take a moment to share their stories with you. This series was built to inspire other women to push beyond limitations and break ceilings in their own lives.
Girls from the Ivy Prep Academy had the opportunity to attend a panel with Scottie Beam, Dr. Marsha Francis, DJ Saige, and Didi Richards. Scottie Beam is a media personality and a podcaster who has gained a following and made her way into the industry by simply being her authentic self. Music has always been a large part of her daily life – learning about it motivates her. She began her journey in the music and podcast industry as a producer at Hot 97 and a co-host of REVOLT’s State of the Culture talk show. She currently co-hosts the podcasts, Black Girl Podcast and Okay, Now Listen. Her ability to blend streetwear with feminine pieces is harmonious with her multifaceted career.
Dr. Marsha Francis is the executive director of STE(A)M Truck, an organization that takes providing access to STEM-focused learning to the next level. STE(A)M Truck is a mobile innovation lab and award-winning program from Community Guilds that works to eliminate inequities in local school systems and transform all areas of education. She is also involved in many civic organizations and philanthropic endeavors, such as the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, and the Georgia Women’s Policy Institute, which works to provide equity for women and girls of color. Dr. Francis is leading the way for the next generation of women in STEM and philanthropy. She isn’t just breaking ceilings, she is forging a path and pulling the young women of the future through with her.
Next up, DJ Saige, one of the industry’s newest heavy hitters. She recently made waves with her superhit, “Players (DJ Saige Remix)”. She started her musical journey by learning to play the piano at a very young age. She grew up surrounded primarily by men in the industry and never thought she would be a DJ. Helping pave the way for other women to enter the industry is very important to her, and she feels the most empowered when she gets to witness other women breaking down barriers. Stay tuned for her very own EP.
DiDi Richards says that confidence is what has gotten her to where she is, along with being unafraid to put herself out there. She started playing basketball when she was 12 years old, and now she plays for the New York Liberty. In a true story of perseverance, before DiDi reached her level of fame for the Liberty, she was left paralyzed after a collision during practice at Baylor University. Not only did she have to take a break from basketball, she had to learn how to walk again, but she did so in just 38 days. She has been named WBCA Defensive Player of the Year, the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. She wants to show little girls all around the world that it is okay to be you and go after your dreams.
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Written By Rachael Bernier
