Author: kellyfairthementor

The phrase “black is beautiful” is said to boost confidence and esteem among the African-American community, but it can have a much stronger impact! A new research study has found that positive racial identity can act as a protective factor in school, increasing academic performance.

What does this mean?

Dr. Sheretta Butler-Barnes of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri led a research study of over 700 black girls in middle-school and high-school. She found that when these young women felt confident about their racial identity and felt connected to their schools, they were more “academically curious and persistent in school”. Not only do we have to work to make schools more inclusive, but we have to show young girls of color their beauty, value, and worth in society. As Polished Pebbles has been saying since 2009, young girls of color are just as much in need of interventions and programs as young boys of color.

What are the implications and what can we do with this information?

Hopefully the results of this study will encourage more research on the topic of racial identity, school inclusiveness, and academic performance for girls of color. The more we know, the better prepared and effective our interventions can be! This also brings to attention the importance of positive role models for these young girls. Black and brown girls need to see women who look like them in positions of power, in successful careers, on TV and movie screens playing the heroine, and in academia.

If you work in a mentoring program, run a program, or hope to develop one, this information can be used to improve your programming. Include activities that connect girls of color to their heritage and skin. Have conversations about racial identity, confidence, and beauty. Encourage the girls in your program to look beyond mainstream media to find their own role models.

Together we can raise up our girls!

January marks National Mentoring Month. It’s a month not only to celebrate the mentors in our lives and communities, but also reflect on the importance of mentoring. Throughout our lives, we have all had people that impacted our lives for the better. They encouraged us to keep moving forward despite the obstacles in our paths. And if we fell, they sat with us until we were ready to stand back up again.

Some youth don’t have that person in their life. Which is why mentoring programs make such a difference. They provide our youth with positive role models, cheerleaders, and life coaches.

According to National Mentor Partnership:

In Real Life, youth who have the opportunity to meet regularly with mentors are:
• 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs.
• 27% less likely to start drinking.
• 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school.
• 37% less likely to skip a class.

In Real Life, young adults who were mentored as kids are:
• 55% more likely to be enrolled in college.
• 78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.
• 2Xs as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team.
• 90% of young people who had a mentor are interested in becoming mentors
themselves.

During the next few weeks reflect on the mentors that shaped you and helped you become who you are today. What are you doing now to #MentorIRL?

Learn how to earn a Polished Pebbles Career Cardigan! Support the Polished Pebbles Give and Get Campaign and you will have a chance to provide Polished Pebbles Career Cardigans and Career Prep Kits to our girls, while receiving a Career Cardigan in return!

• A $25 donation provides 1 Pebble with a career cardigan
• A $75 donation provides 1 Pebble with a career cardigan, and you receive 1 as a thank-you
• A $250 donation provides 7 Pebbles with a career cardigan, and you receive 1 as a thank-you

You may remember that we shared with you how black girls are more likely than white girls to be viewed and treated as adults. This adultification of black girls has far extending effects on their childhood. In fact, recent studies have shown that black girls are more likely to enter the juvenile justice system. A recent article on 90.5 WESA by An-Li shared important and shocking information.

In a national study, it was found that black girls are three times more likely than white girls to have contact with the juvenile justice system. Does this mean that black girls are misbehaving more often and more seriously than white girls? No.

In fact, the article states that black girls are more likely to witness and experience trauma. This influences their behaviors and reactions to everyday situations. This begs the question, is the juvenile justice system the best place for these girls? If trauma is at the heart, then there are probably more effective interventions that can provide holistic care to black girls.

Also, let’s not forget the adulification of black girls, which has roots in racism. For example, even though studies find white girls are just as likely to use drugs as black girls, black girls are more likely to be punished for the offense through the juvenile justice system. Why are black girls being seen as more deserving of serious punishment? One that stains their future endeavors and successes.

The top two things to consider when presented with this problem is 1) what in their environments are influencing the behaviors of black girls and 2) is the juvenile justice system the best form of intervention?

Allegheny County Administrative Family Court Judge Kim Berkeley Clark says it best:

“But they are still children,” Clark said. “And the thing is, they need to have the opportunity to be children.”

For Clark, this is a point that the the juvenile justice system and other systems meant to support children must remember.

-An-Li Herring, 90.5 WESA

These past few days we shared why we are #PebblesProud. We want to give back to you, our community! So, we are sharing with you the people who make us proud. View their videos below as they share why they are #PebblesProud!

Kelly Fair, Executive Director of Polished Pebbles

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf12ZCDjPv8?ecver=1&w=560&h=315]

Tatiana Roberts, Assistant Director of Polished Pebbles

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdT_R10tRUY?ecver=1&w=560&h=315]

Keonza, Public Allies Intern to Polished Pebbles

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE0tiumkXA0?ecver=1&w=560&h=315]

Tyler Johnson, College Edition Polished Pebble at Duke University

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAzDJSskEZs?ecver=1&w=560&h=315]

Dr. Withers, Principal of Gillespie Elementary

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBWz0CsbqCE?ecver=1&w=560&h=315]

Mariah, Polished Pebble at Daniel Hale Williams HS

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah6rCf4DC38?ecver=1&w=560&h=315]

This past Tuesday we had some serious victories for women of color throughout this nation. Our country voted and made a statement: “we need more women of color representing us at local, state, and federal levels”.

Before Tuesday, out of 105 women serving in the 115th U.S. Congress, only 36.2% were women of color. That is only 38 members. Now, out of the full 5353 Congress members, only 7.1% were women of color (all statistics from Center for American Women and Politics).

As of Tuesday, those numbers have shifted! Here are the victorious black and brown women now representing in government:

1. Andrea Jenkins, Minneapolis City Council
2. Hala Ayala, Virginia House of Representatives-D
3. Elizabeth Guzman, Virginia House of Representatives-D
4. Kathy Tran, Virginia House of Representatives
5. Vi Lyles, Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina
6. Sheila Oliver, Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey
7. Lydia Edwards, Boston City Council, District 1
8. Kim Janey, Boston City Council, District 7
9. Yvonne Spicer, Mayor of Framingham, Massachusettes
10. Mary Parham Copelan, Mayor of Milledgeville, Georgia
11. Ashley Bennett, Atlantic County Board of Freeholders, New Jersey-D

Our list above does not reflect the women of color who were re-elected to their positions.

We are at the start of November. And that means we have a whole new set of month long awareness campaigns. For some, this may be the time for No Shave November, National Diabetes Awareness Month, or Native American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month. What we want to draw attention to this week is National Novel Writing Month!

National Novel Writing Month makes you take time out of your day to set goals and get that novel written! Truth is, we need more writers of color, especially women, to share stories, essays, and words.

Which is why, we want to bring your attention to books by black women authors you should be reading! Let them inspire you to get started on your own novel.

Six Classic African-American Authors You Should Know More About

100 Books By Black Women Everyone Must Read

13 Amazing Books Written By Black Women

My Year Of Reading Books By Black Women

Yesterday was UNICEF’s International Day of the Girl! At Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program, we celebrate our girls everyday. If you missed the Polished Pebbles #ChicagoGirlsTakeOver this weekend, check out this feature by Derrick C. Young of CBS Chicago! There’s still time to donate at http://polishedpebbles.com/make-a-donation-give-online!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iChF178RlY&w=560&h=315]

Our International Day of the Girl celebration is this Saturday! At #ChicagoGirlsTakeOver we will be honoring an elite group of people who are working hard to create change in their communities. All funds raised through our fundraiser will be used to support girls at our program sites in Chicago, Indiana, Texas, and at Duke University.

We truly have a community supporting us, and we hope you will join us as we celebrate girls in Chicago and around the world!

Meet the honorees who have inspired us to keep moving forward!

Get your tickets!