This community-focused series evokes conversation about various inequalities across Rhode Island. GENERATION RISING is a reality docuseries that focuses on the issues faced every day by women, the Black community, Indigenous communities, the Asian community, the Hispanic community, and the LGBTQIA+ community, and the ways they are pushing our society forward for change.

The new series will air on the first and third Fridays of each month, beginning Friday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Topics will range from Black maternal health, education disparities, cancel culture, the effects of long COVID, teen mental health, and so much more. The goal is to identify issues, educate, and motivate us all to find solutions for a more fair and just society. 

Growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, Kiara Butler is known for her adaptability and versatility. From being part of the college cheer squad and the army reserve at the same time, to becoming a natural hair influencer while unapologetically living as a Black, same-gender-loving woman in the Deep South, she has always taken challenges head-on while staying true to herself.

Kiara completed her undergraduate at the illustrious, historic Tugaloo College and later earned her master's from Belhaven University and Doctorate from Johnson & Wales University. Inspired by her personal experiences with inequality, she researched and established a groundbreaking methodology for measuring cultural competency, called The Perm Framework.

Now, as a founder and CEO of her own nonprofit, Diversity Talks, Kiara spends her days empowering youth and dismantling systems of oppression. She is the author of Terms & Conditions: The Fine Print to an Anti-Racist Society, a speaker, advocate, and was named to Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30. She has been featured in TedxPVD, PBS, EdSurge, The Boston Globe, and The Providence Journal.