MCAD Hosts Youth-Led Showcase, “I Can Speak for Myself” | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

MCAD Hosts Youth-Led Showcase, “I Can Speak for Myself”

December 21, 2025
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Project DIVA International, "I Can Speak for Myself"

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design was the setting December 6 for I Can Speak for Myself, a youth-led showcase where girls from Project DIVA International stepped to the microphone to share original work shaped by months of study, reflection, and self-discovery.

The students presented writing and spoken-word pieces developed through a program that encouraged them to explore historical changemakers and examine their own identities. The event was framed as more than a performance; leaders said it was a moment of affirmation for girls who often navigate environments where they are underestimated, scrutinized, or unheard.

Organizers emphasized that attendance was not just symbolic. They said having adults in the room signaled to the girls that their voices mattered, their stories had value, and their futures were worth investing in.

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The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. We recognize that this place has a complex and layered history. As a community dedicated to creativity, MCAD is committed to ongoing efforts to support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.


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