Jasmine Derry on Elio, STEM, and Lifting Up Black Girls in Animation

When Jasmine Derry saw Pixar’s Brave as a kid, it wasn’t just Merida’s wild red curls or courageous spirit that left an impression on her; it was the grass. The way it moved, shimmered, and naturally responded to the world around it. She didn’t know it then, but the feeling that something invisible, mathematical, and beautiful was quietly shaping everything she saw on screen would change her life.

Today, Jasmine is one of the few Black women working in the effects department at Pixar, with credits on Turning Red, Inside Out 2, and the upcoming Elio. She plays an important role not only in shaping the stories she works on, but also in how those stories are told.

Her journey from Texas A&M classrooms to cloth simulation on major animated films is a rare one in an industry that too often overlooks Black women, especially in technical roles. According to a 2021 National Science Foundation report, Black women make up only 2% of the STEM workforce in the U.S. In animation, the numbers are even more interesting: The Animation Guild’s 2022 report notes that less than 4% of professionals in the industry identify as Black, with even fewer Black women in technical roles like Simulation TDs, the very position Jasmine holds.

“I think I’m the first Black person to be in the effects department at Pixar,” she says, reflecting on what that means. “There weren’t a lot of women either. It felt like an all-guys club at first. But seeing another woman in that department when I was in college let me know it was possible. And now, I get to be that for someone else.”

That sense of visibility and possibility matters. Black girls remain severely underrepresented in advanced STEM education. In 2020, only 5.8% of AP Computer Science A students were Black, and less than 4% of AP Physics and Calculus students identified as Black girls. Many face early discouragement, a lack of mentors, and structural barriers to even imagining themselves in the field.

Jasmine didn’t have a straight path either. “I hated certain parts of math growing up,” she laughs. “But I had this Black math tutor, Mr. Blakely, who just wouldn’t let me give up. He told me it mattered. And he was right. Math and physics are in everything I do now, from simulating fabric to animating movement.”

In Elio, a story about a lonely kid who accidentally becomes Earth’s ambassador to outer space, Jasmine saw herself. Not just in Elio’s search for belonging, but in the quiet power of the cape he wears throughout the film. “I made that cape part of his emotional language,” she explains. “If Elio was joyful, the cape danced. If he was sad, it drooped. I wanted it to feel alive, like a character itself.”

That subtle touch using cloth simulation to express emotion is precisely the kind of work that reveals Jasmine’s artistry. It’s also a reminder that behind every animated frame are hundreds of technical choices made by people whose names many may never know. People like Jasmine, who bring both science and soul to the screen.

Her rise is also part of a broader movement. Organizations such as Black Girls Code, STEM Noire, and Rise Up Animation are creating pipelines for young Black talent in STEM and entertainment fields. But Jasmine’s presence at a major studio offers something equally vital: proof.

“When you can see someone doing it, you know it’s possible,” she says. “I always tell young people this isn’t some far-off dream. It’s real. It’s work. But it’s real.”

In a time when representation is more than just a buzzword, Jasmine Derry is both symbol and substance. She’s a trailblazer, yes, but also a builder, crafting not only the magic of movies but new paths for the next generation of Black girls in STEM and animation. It’s good to know that my nieces, goddaughters, and all young Black girls have someone like her to look up to. Her story reminds us that brilliance doesn’t always happen center stage or in the spotlight. Sometimes, it’s in the background: quietly waving like grass or flickering through a character’s cape—telling a story only the most attentive can feel, but everyone can see.

Thank you, Jasmine. Your passion, the same drive that led you to Pixar and beyond, is planting seeds, leaving behind a roadmap not just for the next generation of animators but for every Black girl who dares to dream big.