The Congressional Black Caucus hosted its 2025 Annual Legislative Conference from September 24 to 28 in Washington, D.C. The event brought together leaders for panels and workshops under the theme “Made for This Moment: Power, Policy & Progress.”
On September 25, Michelle Hurd, who was recently elected as Secretary-Treasurer of SAG-AFTRA, participated as a guest speaker on a panel titled “The Hyper-Sexualization of Black Women & Girls: a Call to Action.” Other panelists included Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons, psychologist and associate professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health; Yasmin Vafa, human rights attorney and co-founder and executive director of Rights4Girls; and U.S. Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Yvette D. Clarke, Robin Kelly, and Lamonica McIver, who serve as co-chairs of the Caucus on Black Women and Girls. Tameka Harris, co-founder and CEO of Threedom Works Media Group, moderated the discussion.
Panelists discussed how young and adult Black women are represented in media such as film, television—both scripted and reality—and social media platforms. Michelle Hurd contributed insights based on her professional experience about the influence public figures have in either supporting or challenging negative narratives driven by media. The group also talked about the shared responsibility among public figures and audiences to challenge harmful representations and explored ways that education, advocacy, and policy changes can help improve these portrayals.
The Annual Legislative Conference is now in its 54th year. It continues to focus on public policy issues affecting the Black community both within the United States and internationally.
“The conversation between the group centered on the representation of young and adult Black women across media, specifically film, scripted and reality television, and social media. Drawing from her experiences and decades of work, Hurd joined in discussions about the role Black public figures play in reinforcing and resisting problematic media-driven narratives, the responsibility public figures and audiences play in dismantling harmful representations and how to utilize education, advocacy and policy change to further progress.”
