Chanel's Paris Fellowship

Growing up with a single mom, who taught herself how to read after learning she was pregnant with me while my father was imprisoned. On top of growing up in the 2nd most dangerous neighborhood in New York City, the expectations for my success were extremely limited. I watched my mom work and go to school until her feet were blistered and numb. The main thing she told me was "Get the hell out of this neighborhood and be somebody", and all my life I've heard those words. I started writing poetry at age 6, as a form of expressing the frustrations I had with my community, my family, being black and woman and misunderstood,everything under the sun. By high school, I created my school's first Poetry Club. I felt understood and alive and from that moment I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Since then I've been featured in the Huffington Post twice, performed for the United Nations with "I Sell the Shadow" produced by Lisa Russell, five times, performed on the National Poetry slam final stage as an indie performer and also just finished a Northeast poetry tour. Just recently I applied to the "Cambridge Writer's Workshop retreat in Paris, France and..... I GOT ACCEPTED! My heart was beating like crazy outside of my chest. The little Brown girl from Brownsville, Brooklyn, with all the statistics saying she won't be much in this world got accepted to perfect my craft in France.

This opportunity is one I never knew I would ever recieve. I dreamed of leaving Brownsville everyday to the point where nothing much mattered but seeing a new world. I need your help to make that come true. Either by donation, sharing the link spreading the word or even kinds words on this journey. I want to see more than poverty and low expectations and this program will open up my world in way I cannot even imagine! So please if you can help in any way I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you so much for reading!!!

With thanks,
Chanel Dupree

For Media, Click Link: Huffington Post Feature