A few years ago, photojournalist Rachel Harbut saw a video on the Tsunami that struck Indonesia. Compelled by its message and images, she showed a friend the same video. Equally mesmerized, the friend proceeded to ask her what had happened. Given that the tsunami tragedy was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, [...]

No one thought a baby born three months premature and weighing just 2lbs 15oz would go on to become the starting point guard of Farmingdale State College’s basketball team (or any other college team). And they definitely didn’t expect her to do it at her full-grown size: 4 feet 6 inches tall, 90 pounds.
Tiffara Steward is an inspiration in every sense. Not only has she overcome the obstacles that are inherent in her own body (which include blindness in one eye, scoliosis causing one leg to be shorter than the other, and partial deafness), she doesn’t even regard them as obstacles. They are merely facts in her life.
Fact: Some of her vertebrae never developed. Fact: She averaged 16.3 points per game last season (her junior year). Fact: She was born missing a rib. Fact: She averaged 2.5 steals per game.
Believed to be the shortest player in the country, Tiffara has a strength far beyond the size of her stature. Looking at a life marked with what others call disabilities, Tiffara sees opportunities. She has always loved basketball and excelled at it. Therefore there was no good reason not to pursue it. Perhaps a joke to the opponent each time she steps on the court, Tiffara is all business in the game. Her teammates and coach recognize her as a wonderful 3-point shooter and a stellar defensive player.
We, at iatg, love her for the passionista she is, pursuing her dream regardless of what others may think when they look at her or how she appears to fit in on the court. This gal steps through her life in power and in confidence.

Preliminary trailer of a documentary following 14 Female Ski Jumper's court case against the Vancouv

It began in 2006 as a hit Disney Channel TV series and then branched out to the big screen in 2008 with Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert.  Now the “Hannah Montana” phenomenon is all grown up with a full-length feature film entitled Hannah Montana: The Movie.  Just as the franchise continues to grow in success, the film depicts Hannah’s continued climb to stardom as an international pop sensation.
At the film’s start, Hannah seems to be the girl who has everything, but somewhere amidst the hair, make-up and Rodeo Drive shopping sprees, Miley has begun to get lost in the shuffle.  In an attempt to help her return to her roots, Miley’s father (Billy Ray Cyrus) tricks her into going home to Tennessee for her grandma’s birthday.  This is where the adventure begins, as Miley reconnects with her family, falls in love and rediscovers herself in the countryside of her home town of Crowley Corners.  Miley is joined on the big screen by several favorites from the TV show and additional cameos by Tyra Banks, Taylor Swift, and Rascal Flatts.
Hannah Montana: The Movie was definitely not on my must see list, but since it was a slow weekend as far as releases, I thought I would give it a shot for the sake of you, i am that girl readers.  I walked into the theater with several preconceived notions about this film, despite the fact that I’ve never even seen an episode of the TV series.  I was expecting screaming tweens, blond wigs, and bad pop songs… So when I actually got a touching coming-of-age story, I was pleasantly surprised.
Miley is likeable on-screen and it’s hard not to fall for her charm and youthful energy.  There is an innocence about her that is endearing and the film proves to be genuine and heartfelt overall.  While the plot seems fairly generic and borders on corny cliché at times, it is perfectly suited for its target demographic of young girls.  There is also a wholesome message at the film’s core about

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The ladies of I Am That Girl speak out

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It’s not everyday you see women being slapped, pummeled, and yanked by the hair by men in broad daylight. But such recent events in Mangalore, India at a bar called Amnesia: The Lounge are being justified by some groups who call the violence “moral policing.” Whether a global audience agrees or disagrees with the justification is not the biggest issue here, whether or not the world, or India in this case, is ready for the modern female, however, is.
Shri Ram Sena, a radical wing of the Hindu nationalist movement, claimed responsibility for the January 29 attacks on young woman inside and outside the bar. Several women were assaulted and two were pushed to the ground outside according to a video posted by journalists for Daijiworld, Mangalore’s first internet TV.
Kuldip Nayar, a New Delhi-based journalist and political analyst acknowledged that tradition hasn’t been entirely abandoned in India and the “class of people going to pubs, dancing, is still very small.” Isn’t a comparison with the Afghani Taliban a bit harsh for the Shri Ram Sena group? They claim to only be protecting morality, after all. But here lies the double standard.
The key component of these violent acts was that women were the main victims, not a whole “class.” The fact that the women were attacked for doing what was seen as normal in Bollywood movies suggest the society may be moving forward faster than its culture. The culture is lagging behind its so-called image. I, myself, have seen countless Bollywood movies with women drinking in a bar – Dostana and Kal Ho Naa Ho, for example. Why does pop culture promote one modern lifestyle while the public condemns it?
Nirmala Venkatesh, a member of the central government’s National Commission for Women, had a suggestion for Indian women. In her opinion, women can enjoy themselves freely, but need to “recognize societal limits,” she said.
What one can infer from Venkatesh’s response is that women in Ind

Bold yet subtle, strong yet vulnerable, the dancers of Urban Bush Women (UBW) make you feel the ecstasies and agonies of life with just one movement. Based in New York, this extraordinary group of women mixes dance, theater, and music to give voices to the unheard. By forcing audiences to ask what it is to be a woman, African American – and first and foremost – human, in contemporary society, Urban Bush Women is a force to be reckoned with.
With members of all sizes, shapes, and personalities, UBW redefines the female dancer. For this company, it’s artist first, body type second – a refreshing outlook in an art form that sometimes values long legs and a thin frame over technique and talent. In line with this revolutionary view, UBW’s dances present women-centric perspectives that are always political but never divisive, thanks to the troupe’s indomitable leader, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.
Motivated by the network of vivacious women in her life, Zollar created UBW in 1984 to reflect that cohesiveness. “Growing up, the women around me were all strong and held each other accountable in really powerful ways about our actions,” recounts Zollar. “We’d fight of course, but ultimately, there was a bond of love that was greater than competition or dissent.”
UBW’s diversity and strength personifies Zollar’s vision. The company’s uniqueness comes from its dancers – all dancing together yet none dancing alike. Zollar affirms, “We can be individuals but still have an obligation to the group. And the group does not have to drown out your individuality.” One of UBW’s most famous dances, Girlfriends (1986) is an ode to this very camaraderie between women upon which the company is built.
However, UBW isn’t only concerned with the female experience. The troupe seeks to catalyze social change with dances that ultimately reveal aspects of the human experience. Zollar attests, “All stories are human stories. We’re born, we live, we work, we mourn,

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Also available for viewing in the IATG Videos segment at right.