Keke Palmer is sort of living a fairytale life right now. Not only is Palmer starring in the Broadway version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, but she is also still managing to find time to help others. Now the actress is partnering with Saving Our Daughters to help other girls feel like Cinderella.
When we spoke with Palmer, she explained how meaningful the role of Cinderella was to her. Performing on Broadway has also given her “a new respect for entertainers who, night after night, are out there performing their hearts out.” Even though she’s giving it her all each night, Palmer is squeezing in some time to help Saving Our Daughters, an organization she has worked with since she was 12.
According to Palmer, she’s partnered with the organization in the past to attack “issues such as bullying and self-esteem,” so joining forces when she’s playing Cinderella makes perfect sense; after all, Cinderella faces bullying at the hands of her stepsisters. On November 4th, Palmer is meeting with girls from the Boys & Girls Club of New York for an event called “Saving Our Cinderellas.”
At the event, Palmer will host a talk session with the girls to focus on “overcoming self-esteem challenges,” such as the type of bullying Cinderella endures when she is picked on by her mean stepsisters. The session will also “emphasize strong self-esteem and aim to empower girls to save themselves and become influential ‘princesses.’” Another “princess” who stepped in to help the girls was gospel singer Kierra Sheard; the gospel singer will sponsor tickets for girls without parents in their lives to a showing of Cinderella and the talk session.
When we asked Palmer what her hope for the event was, she reiterated the importance of the theme of Cinderella: “to believe the impossible,” which is something she wants each girl to do.
article by Claire Biggs via act.mtv.com