Kehinde Oladeji was part of Public Media Network’s Frank Jamison Fellowship over the summer, and brought her poem Rooted to life on screen as part of her fellowship experience. While she had written the poem previously, it was during her time at PMN that she created the powerful video version.
As a journalism-based fellow, Kehinde worked behind the camera, edited stories, and gained hands-on experience crafting meaningful narratives. One of her final projects was translating Rooted – a poem about resilience and identity – into a visual piece.
“One of the highlights of my time at PMN as a Frank Jamison Fellow was the flexibility I had to choose a project that truly mattered to me,” shared Kehinde after her fellowship was complete. “Rooted was born from a desire to tell an honest and uplifting story using my own journey as the foundation.”
Scenes for this video were opportunistically shot over the span of months. Kehinde and the team took advantage of interesting weather, nearby locations, and the kindness of businesses and organizations like Factory Coffee, Field’s Fabrics, and the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre.
The video centers around a powerful metaphor: Kehinde making the dress she wears as she speaks her poem aloud. In Nigeria, her home country, she often bought fabric at the market to make her own clothes. In the U.S., she continued the practice, turning what some might see as “homemade” into bold self-expression.
One of the clips featured in the video shows Kehinde watching a video of herself from 2018 when she went to D.C. to present another poem during the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Her powerful piece was greeted by cheers from the audience which can be seen in this video. It’s worth watching it after you’ve seen this one.
“I started off with just a rough idea and a lot of questions,” Kehinde shared. “[PMN doesn’t] just hand you tools; they walk with you gently, helping shape your vision with kindness and clarity. I’m so grateful I found it.”
Because of support from our donors, storytellers like Kehinde have the opportunity to share their voices, explore new skills, and create powerful work that resonates. Thank you for helping make that possible. Support local storytellers like Kehinde here.
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