Robin Hickman

Robin is the CEO and Executive Producer of SoulTouch Productions, a television and film production, youth mentorship and media consulting company, with a mission to make meaningful media and produce powerful social impact experiences. The business of SoulTouch and Robin’s personal commitment is to plant seed of hope in young people and present “Visions of Possibilities”.

She is the founder and curriculum developer of the “Lovin’ the Skin I’m In” (Lovin’) Hope & Healing Movement, a SoulTouch partnership initiative for youth, inspired by Sharon G. Flake’s book The Skin I’m In. The movement explores societal standards of beauty and media influences on self-esteem and identity, for over seven years hundreds of young people locally, nationally and internationally have experienced Lovin’. Robin has coordinated Lovin’ events featuring Ms. Flake, A Girl Like Me award-winning New York filmmaker Kiri Davis and actor, writer and director Kimberly Elise. The Lovin’ Movement is featured in the Itasca Project and TPT documentary, Close the Gap: Race Disparities. SoulTouch produced a short video for Ms. Flake’s latest book, You Don’t Even Know Me, which is a collection of poems and short stories about young urban males (YouTube). She also developed the book’s discussion guide for Disney Publishing.

Robin’s film work includes the HBO mini-series, Laurel Avenue and Emmy and NAACP Image Award nominated Half Past Autumn: The Life and Work of Gordon Parks, a documentary on the life of her great-uncle. She worked with HBO on the film’s national community and educational outreach. ESSENCE magazine’s June 2006 issue features a tribute to Mr. Parks, who died in March 2006, written by Robin. In 2011, the Minnesota Council on Black Minnesotans and the Minnesota Humanities Center awarded SoulTouch a Humanities Legacy grant to develop “In the Footsteps of Gordon Parks”, a youth development initiative and celebration of his legacy. Robin was recently featured in TPT’s Lost Twin Cities III, which featured a segment about Parks’ fashion photography experience with Frank Murphy’s boutique in St. Paul (YouTube). “Walking in the Footsteps of Gordon Parks” was the theme of her Black History Month keynote address at the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County 2012 celebration (YouTube).

“Taking Our Place… Center Stage” is an Ordway Center and SoulTouch partnership commitment, which will more deeply engage community members of African descent in organizational wide opportunities. Robin also works with The Ordway Center’s production, marketing and community/education engagement programs, which have included The Color Purple, The Gospel at Colonus and a St. Paul Public Schools Arts Partnership initiative with the Gordon Parks High School. Robin has worked with VocalEssence as a consultant and WITNESS artist and the Walker Art Center on various community events, which included a screening of HBO’s Jim Brown: All American by director Spike Lee.

The tell-a-vision Crew and CHOICE of Weapons (inspired by Parks’ autobiography) projects are SoulTouch social development initiatives, which engage youth in a multi-media making and community building. “My Living Won’t Be I Vain: African American Organ Donation”, was produced by SoulTouch for LifeSource and Southside Community Health Service for broadcast on TPT.