Sophia Steele Selected for Adisa Ancestry Artist Residency in Jamaica

Sophia Steele (Class of 2023) has been selected as an Artist-in-Residence for the Adisa Ancestry Artist Program in Jamaica. She is a digital creator and research scholar whose work centers on African American and Caribbean girlhood, resistance, and imagination. Her senior thesis in Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs examined Afro-Brazilian women artisans and cultural producers in Rio de Janeiro.

During the residency, Sophia is working under the mentorship of Dr. Opal Palmer Adisa—acclaimed novelist, cultural scholar, and Professor at the University of the West Indies. She is writing her debut children’s novel designed to educate young readers about Jamaican culture and heritage, while also producing a film highlighting women artists in Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

In addition to her creative work, Sophia is giving back to the local community by engaging with students at elementary schools impacted by Hurricane Melissa through reading sessions, school supply donations, and creative workshops focused on literacy and storytelling. She has previously served as a film curator for the NOIR Film Festival at Yale University and Next Narrative Africa, and is a writer for TIME Africa.