Tag: black youth

#WhatSheNeeds: Parental Support

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#WhatSheNeeds will provide insights into the experiences of black women in college. From the freshman transition to the affects of social media, these women have a lot to say! Black women are out enrolling every other group in college, but not experiencing the same high levels of success 4 years later in their careers. Through #WhatSheNeeds, we hope to learn a little more about what she needs to succeed–what did their institutions have and what were they lacking?

9f7c22d95fc8216af3dc1c340fa76760#WhatSheNeeds continues with our first topic…Parental Support! For all of our interviewees, parents have been incredible supports during the college experience. But sometimes, things got a little sticky. Parents always wants what is best for their children, but sometimes this causes tension for college students. As summer is quickly passing, all you parents are getting ready to send your daughters off to college–some for the first time! We want you to know how to best support your daughters in their academic career! Here is some advice from our lovely college women…

Anessa Trask said in her interview, “Your parent’s dream career for you, may not be YOUR dream career for you.”

This is exactly what Sadariah experienced…

Sadariah Harrel is majoring in Business Management, but her dream lies in the arts:

“I’m not in school for what I want to be in school for. Me, I’m more of the creative type; I’m more of the art time. I love to write…Anything that deals with my imagination, I love to do it. And I feel like it’s such a big thing in society being an African American female, being a female period. Its like you have to be in a field where it’s like business or computer science just so you can be competitive because you are a female. And my mother she’s a computer analyst so she’s like,  “You have to do that, you have to do this.” And I’m like “No, I love English and I love reading and I want to write”. And she’s like “No. If I’m paying then you’re going for what i want you to go for”…I wasn’t doing what I wanted to do. It wasn’t fun for me. It felt like I was being forced to do something.”

On the other hand, is Sydney Tyler:

“My family supports my major 100%. A lot of my family is health professionals, so it was pretty normal when I told them I was going into the health field. They’re loving it”

This isn’t to say one family is better or more supportive than another, but parenting style does affect the college experience. It can either drive a woman to success or make her feel a little lackluster about her future.

But don’t pity Sadariah. While pursuing her business major, she knows she can express her creativity in other ways. As she told me, “I can always publish books on the side”.

Mostly, these women just want to make their families proud:proud-to-be-the-first-blog-header

“I am first generation in my family. I am the only child of a single parent. It was my first college experience with applying to colleges and getting into college. And I did it. All with the support of my mom, and it was a wonderful experience.” –Sydney Tyler

“I’m the first to go so far away. I’m far away from my family. I’m out there on my own. I’m the first person to go to an HBCU, the first person to pledge a sorority, the first person to become a nursing major. Sometimes I feel a lot of pressure because I am doing so many firsts! And I don’t want to let anyone down, or disappoint anybody. So, I’m kind of harder on myself.” –Jasmine Hosley

“Throughout my entire life I kind of felt the most pressure because I’m the only child. I’ve always been, like the ‘brain’. My cousins would always call me that and say I was a nerd. And so, I always felt like I had to live up to that, you know, title of what was given to me. Because I knew, like, no one else was fitting that at the time” –Brittany Colvin

Terri Floyd summed up the role of the parent perfectly:

“I had my family, my parents are encouragers.”

To all you parents out there with daughters headed off to college, “Be encouragers!” Your daughters want and need your support for a successful college transition and experience. Remember, you both have the same priority; to succeed! 

#WhatSheNeeds: Meet the Women

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Last week we introduced our series, #WhatSheNeeds. #WhatSheNeeds will provide insights into the experiences of black women in college. From the freshman transition to the affects of social media, these women have a lot to say! Black women are out enrolling every other group in college, but not experiencing the same high levels of success 4 years later in their careers. Through #WhatSheNeeds, we hope to learn a little more about what she needs to succeed–what did their institutions have and what were they lacking?

Before we start sharing these women’s thoughts, let’s meet them! Click on the photo to pull up their info!

Thriving or Just Surviving?

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Recently, Kelly Fair and Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program have been pushing college mentoring. This isn’t only because we are developing our College Edition mentoring program, it is important! The media is filled with mixed messages about African-American women, especially college students.

What is the college experience for black women? According to HuffPost: College, black students have, are, and will continue to experience discrimination and microaggressions on campus.

A student at Duke University hung a noose from a tree in Durham, North Carolina, campus on April 1. This came about a week after the university began investigating reports that a group of white men had harassed a black female. The men were reportedly singing the same racist chant…

According to one student, “Institutionalized racism has created spaces for Duke–and for colleges nationally…”.

Despite the negative and harmful experiences, black women are leading all groups in college enrollment! That is independent-black-womensomething to celebrate! But, how can we expect to keep African American women in college if their experiences on campus are not supportive or downright violent?

According to the data, 9.7 percent of Black women are enrolled in college. Asian women are second, with 8.7 percent working toward degrees, followed by Asian men at 8.4 percent, White women at 7.1 percent, Black men at 7.0 percent, Hispanic women at 6.6 percent, White men at 6.1 percent, and Hispanic men at 5.9 percent.

Despite the high enrollment rates, our women are not seeing success in the work force. ThinkProgress writes about a study conducted by Black Women’s Roundtable, the women’s initiative of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. In their research, they found that although African American women are excelling in education and careers, they are not being equally compensated! While many people know the 77 cents to a dollar, few know that this is for white women when compared to white men. Black women make 64 cents to a dollar when compared to white men!

Race and gender bias intersect to limit access to traditional capital for Black women.

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So, what is the African American women’s experience in college? Are they thriving or simply surviving? Is their community supportive in their future success? Next week we will be sharing insights from our interviews with current college students! Check back then!

Looking Beyond Dolezal

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By now, most people have heard of the curious case of Rachel Dolezal. Her story has brought intrigue into issuesafrican-american-girls-experience-the-same-violence-as-boys of race, gender, and systemic oppressions. While her story has shed light on modern day racism, it is important that we look beyond Dolezal, beyond this media frenzy.

Arnesha Bowers. A lesser known name. Mic article by Darnell Moore criticizes media and society for being sucked into the world Dolezal has created. While many of us were eagerly following her twitter updates and news stories, Arnesha Bowers became a tragic victim to violence. In his words:

“What concerns me most is the fact that the theoreticals and speculations on the assumed performance of race in [Dolezal’s] story trump our ability to see and respond to the tragic material realities of race and gender in the lives of everyday black girls and women…”

He is bringing attention to the “other side of the crisis”, which Polished Pebbles has been fighting for! We have said it time and again, black girls and women are predominantly ignored by society and media–they struggle in silence with few resources to support them.

Again, Moore so wonderfully sums up the crisis:

“If we are familiar with Dolezal’s name and story — a story about a white woman who self-identifies as a black woman and purports to fight on behalf of black people — we must remain aware of the plights of black women and girls who are the victims of violence — girls like Bowers.”

Only together will she shine!

Sharing Knowledge: HBCU Nation

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As you know from our previous post, Collegiate Mentoring, Polished Pebbles is planning on expanding with College Edition. African-American women in college are just as in need of mentoring and support as younger girls. With our continued support, increasing rates of black women will be attending college and earning degrees. In fact, according to ClutchMag, black women make up the most college enrollments–now that is a success! We want this to continue. Kelly Fair has shared her hopes of providing mentoring to college students. Simply have college interns is not enough, she wants more direct, group support on campuses.

Recently on HBCU Nation, Kelly Fair shared her views on collegiate mentoring–why we need it and how we can benefit from it. Click here to give it a listen!

Tell us what you think of collegiate mentoring for African-American women? What type of support would you have wanted during your college experience?

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A Look Back: What Was Said at “On the Table”

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As many of you know, Kelly Fair lead an “On the Table” Discussion through the Chicago Community Trust. She presented on the other side of the crisis! Peel back the layers and see #blackgirlsmatter. Move past the tough exteriors and discover young vulnerable girls in need of love!

Were you unable to attend the On the Table Discussion? Don’t worry! We have a little video here for you to know the main points of the other side of the crisis and how you can help!

Let’s take a look back with this snippet:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGBGON-04sk&w=420&h=315]

Representation Matters…#ThankYouDocMcStuffins

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Have you heard of the trending #thankyoudocmcstuffins? Young African-American girls and their parents are sharing their Doc_mcstuffins_familyappreciation for a line of toys (and TV show) that feature a young, black girl as the lead! The Disney Junior Program “Doc McStuffins” brings a new face to popular media. With a doctor for a mother, young “Doc” inspires to be just like her and hones her skills on her toys! While the premise of the show is simple, its impact is anything but!

There are few African-American lead characters on popular television, let alone for children’s shows. “Doc” not only represents black youth, but young women as well! She shows girls that they can have a successful future in a STEM field–that they are more than capable! At Polished Pebbles, we are whole-heartedly approve of this representation in our media. Polished Pebbles strives to provide similar mentors and role models for our girls in the program. It is important that they can see themselves in positions they are working towards! We want more “Doc”‘s on our televisions! 

Click here for the Upworthy article on #thankyoudocmcstuffins…

Click here to view the twitter feed for the trending hashtag…

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Collegiate Mentoring

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As May comes to a close, many college and university students are walking on stages and accepting their diplomas. We want to say congratulations to all you new graduates! Earning your degree is no easy feat. That’s why Polished Pebbles had expanded to collegiate mentoring. Kelly Fair is a frequent contributor to HBCU Nation Radio Show where she provides “Mentoring Minutes” to university students. She also writes for Stomping the Yard on JETMag, whose articles focus on the college experience from roommates to professors. We need to pay attention to college students, especially young African-American women and first-generation college students! First-generation students do not always arrive at college or university with the same knowledge and preparation as other students. While this does not always limit them, it shows a need for mentoring. Mentors can provide this essential bridge in knowledge, experience, and support for first-generation students at college. We want to support them from elementary through to their college degrees! 

For more information on Polished Pebble’s Collegiate Mentoring, check out the brochure! 

You can also listen to Kelly Fair speak on HBCU Nation Radio Show or read her articles on Stomping the Yard.

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Investing in the Future of Black Girls

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As many of you know, Kelly Fair was an ambassador for the Chicago Community Trust at the On the Table Discussion Tuesday evening. We had our discussion with a diverse group of people from community service members (social workers, school counselors, etc), teachers, businessmen, and even officers of the court. She lead her topic, Investing in the Future of Black Girls, with inspiring community leaders to teach them that everyday citizens are agents of change. Kelly Fair has often focused “on the other side of the crisis”. Black girls are living and developing in the same communities as black boys, yet they do not receive as much attention. Their fight is an invisible one. Polished Pebbles, Kelly Fair, and On the Table 2015 brought a voice to that struggle.

This year, Kimberlé Crenshaw released a report, Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced and Underprotected. According to Crenshaw:

Ideally, the conversation Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced, and Underprotected engenders within communities and among philanthropists, policy makers, stakeholders, and advocates will lead to the inclusion of girls in efforts to address school discipline, push-out, and the pathways to incarceration, poverty, and low-wage work. We are especially hopeful that ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis facing boys of color will open up opportunities to examine the challenges facing their female counterparts.

Crenshaw and Kelly Fair agree on multiple points. Like Crenshaw, Fair believes more research, media, and communities need to focus on young, African-American women. From sex trafficking to school discipline, our girls are in danger in their very communities. As local community leaders, you are able to make changes, to be a voice for this invisible fight! We want to empower you to stand up for your community, for your young, black girls. For all of those who already have, thank you for your courage, for all of those who have yet to do so, thank you for reading our message. We want to continue our discussions! Comment, share, and spark conversation with those around you. Because together she will shine!

From Polished Pebbles and Kelly Fair, thank you to all who attended Polished Pebbles facilitated On the Table discussion. We appreciate your voice, heart, and presence. Thank you to Chicago Community Trust for allowing us to share this conversation with our community.

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Kelly Fair: Ambassador to Chicago Community Trust

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If you don’t already know, Kelly Fair will be serving as an ambassador for the Chicago Community Trust “On the Table” discussions!

I’m Kelly Fair and I’m the founder of Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program. Founded in 2009, Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program has been intimately involved in developing and implementing successful youth development programs. I’m motivated to continue my work in mentoring, because I’m a successful byproduct of strong Chicago-based youth mentoring and job readiness initiatives. So, I know personally that mentoring works, which is why am excited every time a new company jumps on board to providing career-related mentoring to our girls.

Watch this video to learn more about Kelly Fair and Polished Pebbles’ role at “On the Table”:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xddz31GkmKk&w=560&h=315]

For more information, click here…