Girls for A Change

Activism At 16: Stephanie Younger Shows The Way

Brianna Scott | November 8, 2018

Topics: activism, angela davis, black lives matter, BLM, Girls for A Change, police violence, politics, RISE for Youth, stephanie younger

When people look at iconic activists like Audre Lorde, Maya Angelou, Huey P. Newton or Malcolm X, they must remember that they, at one point, were inexperienced, young, starry-eyed and hungry for change. Many don’t get to see the birth of an activist, but I’ve had the pleasure of watching one blossom into their own.

Most 16-year-olds aren’t writing articles for the ACLU of Virginia, planning to help lead a parade centered around juvenile justice, or interviewing Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors. 16-year-old Stephanie Younger is: and this is only the beginning.

Originally from New York, Younger defines herself as a womanist, youth-prison abolitionist, and a girl who loves to code. Younger first got involved in activism when she saw news coverage of unarmed black men experiencing police brutality. She wanted to speak out about issues like this, and other forms of violence that affect the black community at disproportionate rates.

“I became involved in the Richmond Peace Education Center [RPEC] and I help other young people apply non-violent conflict resolution to reduce gun violence in Central Virginia,” said Younger.

It is difficult to be outspoken about controversial topics during this political climate, and especially so at a young age. Protecting youth and combating racism are important issues to Younger, who has encountered racism herself in school.

“I’ve been called the N-word and a monkey. My peers would touch my hair without my permission, and exclaim how gross and ugly it was,” Younger told me. “In the fourth grade, three teachers accused me of threatening a white girl simply because we didn’t get along. On that school’s robotics team, I would obtain negative attention — or no attention at all — from my coaches. When I shared these experiences with other people, I was told that they’re no longer valid because ‘it was in the past,’ even though those experiences influenced my identity and my advocacy for black folks.”

Despite these painful experiences, Younger has channeled her energy into positive means to uplift her community.

Younger created a project, Angela Davis’ Black Girl Coalition, inspired by Davis’ advocacy for prison abolition. The coalition is based at Girls For A Change, a non-profit organization whose mission statement is “to empower black girls and other girls of color visualize their bright futures and potential through discovery, development, and social change innovation in their communities.”

Younger’s project aims to work with school districts in Virginia to provide alternatives to the school push-out and school-to-prison-pipeline, such as mindfulness and conflict resolution.

The Civil Rights Data Collection showed black students are four times as likely as their white classmates to be suspended from school. In a report done by the Urban Institute in 2017, black youth make up less than 20 percent of Virginia’s youth population but account for 43 percent of juvenile intakes, 56 percent of detainments and 71 percent of admissions to direct care.

Through her project, Younger connected with RISE For Youth which is a nonpartisan campaign in support of community alternatives to youth incarceration.

Younger believes that youth incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline must be taken seriously since at one point Virginia led the nation in referring students to the police.

“America was built on the foundation of the enslavement of youth, specifically black youth. We are often taught that slavery against black youth ended after the Civil War, when it actually evolved into youth incarceration,” Younger said.

Younger has created her own blog, called the Black Feminist Collective, inspired by Kimberle Crenshaw’s Theory of Intersectionality and Alice Walker’s Definition of Womanism. Younger has written many articles on her own website, has an article published on Afropunk, and has been interviewed by NBC12 and Community Idea Stations.

After speaking at a March For Our Lives demonstration in Richmond, and writing an essay on black girls’ voices in the fight against gun violence, the ACLU of Virginia invited Younger to the ACLU National Membership Conference. It was there that Younger had the opportunity to interview one of the founders of BLM, Patrisse Khan-Cullors.

For Younger, the passion for being an activist is rooted in making the world a better place: by challenging racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression.

Although high-school graduation and college are a few years away for the teen, she has specific goals in mind. Younger wants to become a software engineer, involve more young black girls in STEM, and eventually write for a publication like Teen Vogue.

The state of America’s political climate seems bleak at times but there are beacons of light like Younger who are striving to push back against the oppression in this world.

“Even though we can’t vote, young people — especially young black people — have been leading the fight to end gun violence, LGBTQ+ liberation, voters’ rights, and feminism. Black youth are the catalysts of social and political change.” To keep up with Younger visit her websites, The Black Girl Coalition and Black Feminist Collective.

First Lady Pam Northam Introduces Progressive Platform Over Post-Inaugural Brunch

David Streever | January 14, 2018

Topics: angela patton, Girls for A Change, governor ralph northam, inauguration, Justin Fairfax, larkin garbee, Mark Herring, pam northam

First Lady Pam Northam hosted a post-inauguration brunch headlined by Angela Patton, the CEO of Girls With A Change, a Richmond area non-profit that supports young women of color, in a ticketed event at the Jefferson Hotel this morning.

The brunch opened with a recital by the American Youth Harp Ensemble, a nationally-recognized ensemble that accepts youths regardless of financial means.

GFAC youth with Northam, Patton. Photo by AM

Patton’s opening remarks introduced her organization. “Girls For A Change starts with one of the most powerful and wasted resources on the planets: Girls. Specifically, girls of color.”

She introduced Karen Forget, an executive director of river conservation group Lynnhaven River NOW, and Northam’s former boss. Forget spoke about Northam’s background in education and ecology before introducing the new First Lady. “We will need to bring everyone to the table,” to fight challenges like climate change and rising sea levels, she said, “and I don’t know anyone better at that than Pam Northam.”

Northam spoke to the importance of protecting water, noting that the tables were named after rivers all over Virginia, from the Shenandoah to smaller rivers like the Dan. “The next brunch will be a little different,” she said, referencing the splendor of the Jefferson ballroom. “I’ll invite you all to put on your waders and join me for a river clean-up.”

Following heavy applause, she extended an invitation to join her at a volunteer effort to clean up Richmond’s historic Evergreen Cemetery for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. day of service tomorrow, 9 – 12 PM.

After thanking the inaugural committee for choosing a vegetarian brunch, she teased the new governor, saying, “Ralph you can have a sandwich when we get home.”

The importance of women carried through the event, from the all-woman harp ensemble, to her thank-you speech. She said she was singling out two more, Cerina Fairfax and Laura Herring, married to Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark Herring, for their help with the Democratic sweep of the top offices.

Northam proposed to focus on early-education over the next four years. “I’m surrounded by neuroscientists,” she said as she spoke about the importance of pre-k and developing minds. “Let’s start at the beginning with our greatest treasures….our children.”

First Lady and Governor Northam. Photo by BW

Outgoing First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe drew praise for her work to provide “12 million additional meals for Virginia children,” and Northam said she would build on that work as well as a range of issues including healthcare, clean air, clean water, and spaces to play and learn.

She finished her remarks with two quotes. The first was a much-quoted line from The Summer Day, a poem by her favorite poet, Mary Oliver. “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Northam recruits volunteers after. Photo by BW

The second, from Michelle Obama, underscored the role of women and the importance of equality. “As women, we must stand up for ourselves. As women, we must stand up for each other. As women, we must stand up for justice for all.”

In attendance were many of the newly-elected delegates, including Danica Roem, Debra Rodman, and Schuyler VanVelkenburg. Justin Fairfax was also spotted mingling with guests before the brunch program began.

Larkin Garbee and Angela Patton. Photo BW

Patton was sitting with local entrepreneur and philanthropist Larkin Garbee, a supporter of her organization. After the brunch, Patton spoke about the incoming administration. “Things are shifting fast. This opportunity wouldn’t even have been available to my mother, and she’s a young 70-years old.”

“Most everyone appreciates what we’re doing,” she said about the work, but she brought up that she’s had a few critics. “One gentleman today, just one, told me that we’re going backward. Working with girls of color isn’t about excluding anyone, though. We’re just tapping into the most vulnerable population with a goal of getting us caught up.”

She’d brought several of the girls she works with, including Danielle Freeman-Jackson, a senior at Henrico High School, who told us what the day meant for her. “It’s big. She’s not just Ralph Northam’s wife, she’s a successful woman in STEM. I’m going into STEM, and it’s so empowering to see her with Angela Patton, supporting girls of color like myself.”

Cover photo by Branden Wilson. Other photos by Branden Wilson (BW) or Allison MacEwen (AM).

Virginia Politics Sponsored by F.W. Sullivans

Empower Through Art: Girls For A Change & Hamilton Glass Collab on Jackson Ward Mural

Ryan Persaud | October 25, 2017

Topics: Girls for A Change, Hamilton Glass, HandsOn Greater Richmond, RVA ARt, RVA murals, VIrginia Credit Union

A new mural can be found on the corner of East Broad and North 1st streets, one that explicitly celebrates black girls, and demands that they be treated with the respect they deserve.

The initial idea for the mural came from Girls For A Change, a Virginia-based organization whose mission is to empower and support girls of color to enact social change and to work for a brighter future for black women.

“Across our nation, we continue to know that black girls, unfortunately, are not valued,” said Angela Patton, CEO of Girls For A Change. “These girls decided that they wanted the mural to represent narrative change about the presence of black women and girls.”

In November of 2016, Girls For A Change students from John Marshall High School spoke to the Office of Community Wealth Building about the prejudices that black girls face, as well as the economic realities that the girls have struggled with. The department’s director, Reggie Gordon, asked the girls about their ideas on how to deal with poverty in their communities.

“One of the ideas was a mural because they thought that the way people think about black women could actually change how they give black women an opportunity,” Patton said. “If I see her differently when she does apply for the job, or if she is working at a job and wants to have equal pay, or if she is asking for an opportunity to lead in a position, if they can see past her color, and see past her gender, then maybe that could break down a major barrier.”

Richmond muralist Hamilton Glass saw this meeting when it was broadcast on Facebook Live, and was inspired to reach out to the girls to forward the idea.

“In that speech, they were talking about a whole list of things that they would like to see for themselves in the future,” Glass said. “One percent of that speech said something about seeing things in their image that speaks to them. That was something I just felt like I could help with.”

Glass started working with the girls on the mural soon after.

“We met with the girls for 12 weeks, and the girls got into it, they loved the idea, and they designed their own mural,” Glass said. “I was explaining to the girls that this is something that is not meant to be just a pretty picture, but this is something that is meant to put your words, your thoughts, your image, your voice on the side of the building to represent you.”

Girls For A Change members, Glass, and 60 volunteers from Virginia Credit Union gathered together to paint a large portion of the mural on Sat., Oct. 14.

Virginia Credit Union provided funding for the mural. The bank is also providing the Girls For A Change members with financial education, as well as mentoring girls who need assistance with their financing.

HandsOn Greater Richmond helped facilitate by closing off streets and procuring supplies. They were also tasked with coordinating communication between the various groups involved, in addition to managing the recruitment of the volunteers, according to Kathryn Lienard, corporate program assistant for HandsOn Greater Richmond.

While work on the mural was not completed on Saturday, Glass and VCU art student Austin Miles are set to complete the mural, located at 24 E. Broad St. by Tuesday, Oct. 24.

The girls hope that the mural will help change the way people think about black girls, Patton said.

“I’m not just preparing black girls for the world, I’m preparing the world for black girls,” Patton said. “I’m not only empowering them, I’m empowering you, too, to be with them, to get to know them, to understand them, and to collaborate with them.”

Art Sponsored by Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art