We love celebrating International Women’s Day each year. We also love celebrating Women’s History Month during March. But honestly, our celebration of the awesome things women do for each other shouldn’t be limited to one day or one month of the year.
We’re a site dedicated to showcasing messages and campaigns run by and focusing on women year-round, and today is no exception. A creative studio based out of New York City, Root NYC, has teamed up with a non-profit organization called FeLT NYC to spend the month of march raising awareness about the importance of empowering immigrants with education and language.
As part of a campaign for equal education opportunities on March 8 International Women’s Day when the campaign initially launched, with the help of photographer Tory Rust, Root NYC have captured portraits that celebrate the joy and tenacity among the FeLT students and teachers.
As Felt describes, they are “a community of women dedicated to supporting immigrants and refugees in New York through free English language courses and a variety of practical workshops. All of our teachers are volunteers, and most are immigrants themselves. We engage groups of immigrant and refugee women & youth who seek to learn more about their adopted home, in order to help them feel safer and empowered.”
At a time in America, as well as around the world, when we are seeing the demonization of immigrants and minorities, we feel it is so important to empower and support especially the most vulnerable in these communities to know that they DO belong and there is a place for them in our society.
Women and girls are often the most disproportionately affected when it comes to accessing education and healthcare among immigrant communities, and an organization like FeLT are ensuring these women have the right tools they need to begin a life of success and financial stability.
“FeLT NYC means to welcome and help those in pursuit of happiness and the American dream of a better life,” says a description on their website.
As Nelson Mandela famously once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” A quote that can be found on the FeLT website.
In a not-so-subtle nod to the turbulent political climate being stoked up by the Trump/Pence administration and the Republican Party right now in the US, FeLT make it very clear their mission is to be an antidote to the fear-mongering and hate.
“We feel that the need for action is NOW. We are firm believers of love’s ability to trump hate. We are dedicated to welcoming and supporting those who chose America as their haven, because it is the best way to help them contribute to the continuous growth of this already-great country.”
If you like the beautiful portraits from the campaign, be sure to head over to the FeLT website and find out how you can get involved and support the community of immigrant women and girls.
Full creative credits:
photographer @toryrust
art director @ambermchandler
production @jeanjarvis at @area1202
stylist @rachaelwangstudio
hair and makeup artist @juliadaltonbrush
hair and makeup artist Valeria Kole
studio + media strategy @rootstudios
clothing provided by @gap
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