Brooklyn Levine, California chapter co-president

Introducing our legislative and policy leads Lisa Levine, an artist and university art teacher in Northern California and Dr. Brooklyn Levine, social worker and academic in Southern California.

California is the most populous state, with 12 percent of the US population. As a trend setter, and leader in media and technology, California’s policy change will be critical to our work. So we’ve brought on a north/south team to put media literacy on the agenda. We will be gathering more advocates and activists in the state. Please contact us, sign up for the mailing list, or get in touch with this mother-daughter team directly, to learn more about our work in California, get connected, and get active.

And see Brooklyn’s blog post about mental health and social media.

Reaching our audience in Arkansas

Leslie Benford, Arkansas chapter president

We’re thrilled to partner with Leslie Benford of Fayetteville, Arkansas, who is using her platform as a current title holder in the Miss Arkansas organization – Miss Dogwood – to talk about and promote media literacy in the state. Her title has enabled her to schedule meetings with many policy makers. If she wins at the Miss Arkansas pageant in Hot Springs on July 11, she will carry her message of Media Literacy education to the Miss America pageant in September and reach millions of people.

With North Carolina, growing in the south

Jimmeka Anderson, North Carolina partner

Leading the effort in North Carolina is Jimmeka Anderson, founder of I AM not the MEdia, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of this organization is to empower teens and young adults to become conscious viewers of the media, critical decision makers, and to embrace their individuality and uniqueness through media literacy and media creation. Jimmeka, an author, poet, library professional, is meeting with legislators and getting media literacy on the public policy agenda in her state.

Media Literacy Now was founded to build awareness of the urgent need for media literacy education, and to assist groups and individuals to work with their state lawmakers to introduce legislation and advocate for policy change.

We are now leading the advocacy efforts for legislation in 12 states: