A quick note from the MDR Team — gratitude, wins, and how you can help youth build digital spaces that heal. Happy Holidays from MDR! As we round out this year, we’re reflecting in gratitude on the work, the recognitions, and, most of all, the student “aha” moments that can’t be matched. Change the Reel Podcast 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...

Hi Reader, THANK YOU! As the spirit of Giving Tuesday extends into a week of generosity, we're celebrating what our community made possible this year... Looking back on this year, I want to pause and say thank you for everything you’ve poured into Media Done Responsibly. Your belief in our young people… your belief in our mission… your belief in a kinder, more human digital world. It all matters. And what a year it has been. ✨ MDR’s Founder and CEO, Shaunelle Curry, was inducted into the...

Hi Reader, 18 years ago, I had this idea to tackle injustice in media. Black women were proliferated as sex objects in mainstream music videos, and in my daily world of teaching and life skills training, Black girls were being sexually assaulted and raped. The messages in media confirmed they didn't have a voice in the matter.A seed of an idea in my mind became MDR- then called Mother's Day Radio- a youth-led advocacy campaign to challenge denigrating music and increase positive...

Hi Reader, Tomorrow we kick off the BELIEVE! 5-Day Clarity Challenge—a focused, supportive sprint to finally move your creative project or next-chapter idea forward. And I'd love to have you there! If you’ve been circling the same idea, doubting your timing, or waiting for “perfect,” this is your moment. 👉🏾 SAVE MY SPOT! In 5 days, you’ll: ✔️Clarify what you’re building and why it matters (Free Sneak Peek Day 1: Believe It!) ✔️Name your assets—skills, time, allies, and tools you already have...

The Power of Mentorship featuring Denise Pines and Dr. Yolanda Gorman by Shaunelle Curry ↓ We all need mentors-- Earth Angels, treasured humans-- that see something unequivocally good and precious in us, and use their wisdom, tools, and resources to pull it out of us so that it --and we--can live elevated and fully expressed in the world. It has been my great honor to be mentored by two of my cherished friends, Denise Pines and Dr. Yolanda Gorman. Mentors Who Shape Us Denise Pines A film...

Hi Reader, I cried Monday morning. Odd, because when I first awoke and looked into my bathroom mirror, I smiled and gave myself a cheery "Good morning" and high five!Yet, as I looked into my eyes, they began to fill—and then to overflow—with tears.I should not have been surprised. I had just laid my aunt—my mom's younger sister—to rest. I spent the past several days traveling with my aging mom. She's 86 now. Feisty and independent, younger-looking than her years, outspoken and stubborn, still...

Join Our Pop-App Launch Party! Saturday, July 26th @ 5pm PST/8pm EST RSVP for FREE! 🎉 Come as you are. Come where you are. We’re throwing a Pop-App party to celebrate the official launch of our new community space—and you’re invited! This isn’t Zoom. This is a one-of-a-kind digital celebration INSIDE our new platform—designed for real connection, creative expression, and soul-centered purpose. You’ll be the first to explore the space, test out features, win prizes, play games, and unlock what...

Imagination as Rebellion: Why Your Story Matters Now More Than Ever By Shaunelle Curry ↓ We are living in a time of collapse.ICE raids are intensifying.Peaceful protestors are met with tear gas, surveillance, and militarized force. The U.S. President has now deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles without consent—and 700 Marines are staged and ready to be deployed against citizens exercising their legal right to protest. And as I'm writing this, he has called for the arrest of California's...

CA Black Women's Trailblazer Hall of Fame Awards The CA Black Women's Trailblazer Hall of Fame Awards ↓ I am beyond honored.Being named a California Black Women’s Trailblazer Hall of Fame Awardee for 2025 is something I’m still wrapping my heart around. To be recognized by and alongside iconic peer sisters is truly transcendent. These are powerful, brilliant women from across California-- women whose work I deeply admire, who are revitalizing education, shaping policy, wellness, and art,...