Q&A WITH OPHELIA CHAMBLISS

What does it mean to you to be an American?

It means being a part of something that is big, something that has an unending potential for growth. It means having the hope that you are a part of a global initiative — that no matter where you start, there is a potential for greatness.

What moment touched and motivated you to launch this effort?

It has given me the opportunity to address and express things I may not have had the opportunity to otherwise do. It creates the opportunity for a dialogue where one didn’t exist before, increasing discourse and dialogue among races and changing the media perception of African-Americans in the public space. That’s what motivates me. My motivation is to change the narrative of the media perception and how we are archived and remembered for future generations. Whether I’m meeting with the governor or with the kids at the (York County) Juvenile Detention Center, it’s the same. It’s about changing the narrative.

What gives you hope or what concerns you?

What gives me hope is when I come across a young person who has a vision, and I can help develop young artists to achieve that vision. What gives me hope is that there are people in a position, whether it be public officials or stakeholders, and they’re receptive and willing to make the effort to change things. People are listening. That gives me hope.

What do you hope to accomplish through your efforts?

To change the narrative about African-Americans in our community and in our country. I just hope that people will have a new appreciation for each other. We all have our differences, but we all have the same goals. I was thinking about this while I was working on my Social Network project this morning. I hope people will learn something new about someone they never met before and find they have more commonalities than differences.