Honoring local girl leaders For Black History Month
Every February, people all over the nation observe Black History Month as a way of celebrating, honoring and absorbing the lessons of African Americans who have contributed so much to our communities and culture. This February, Pink Girls Run The World (PGRW) founder and Hamilton Township native, Tashieka Brewer, decided to collaborate with NJ’s Grounds for Sculpture and former Mercer County middle school teacher, Donna Hendricks, to celebrate Trenton girls (9 years old — 13 years old) who have demonstrated EXTRAordinary leadership in their communities and hold the key to future growth in communities that have been categorized as underprivileged.
Black History Month not only reminds us of the “fierce urgency of now,” but the importance of planting the seeds in our communities for a better tomorrow. “As a former educator here in Mercer County, I understand the important role that being open to the EXTRAordinary all around us plays in dreaming BIGGER,” explains Hendricks, founder of girl empowerment site Extra Is My Ordinary. Data from the Global Dreams Index Survey shows that more than half of the world’s population of women give up on their dreams, being told to be realistic, play it safe and avoid taking chances. “Girls from lower income neighborhoods are at more of a disadvantage when it comes to the economic resources and support that may be needed to chase a dream,” shares Brewer.
Bringing in 16-year old author, Kayla M. Heddon, as the keynote speaker, the tea event held at the Grounds for Sculpture encompassed PGRW’s core principles:
· Encouraging women and girls to fill their lives with adventures (not just things).
· Reinforcing the voices/ narratives of women around the globe in a way that not only supports, but empowers ALL women.
· Working together to overcome the barriers to justice and equality that have been imposed on women.
As a young girl growing up in the “White City” section of Mercer County’s Hamilton Township, Tashieka’s family didn’t have access to the resources that would enable her to explore the foreign lands that filled her childhood daydreams. But that didn’t stop her from dreaming, plotting and planning for her future. Often taking place in her grandmom’s basement or backyard, her imaginary play often involved Japanese gardens, flamenco dancers, African jungles and grand European palaces. Today, Tashieka finds herself balancing jet setting around the globe as a PR Consultant with helping women owned businesses build brands in and out of the boardroom, documenting her journey on PinkGirlsRunTheWorld.com.
Center for Child and Family Achievement [CCFA]
The CCFA model is conceptually designed to impact the achievement gap in the City of Trenton. The CCFA approach creates logical and gradual progressions of achievement producing behaviors that become actualized for each unique family. Social science research over the past decades, has suggested that family structure affects children’s school outcomes, from preschool to college. Early childhood education studies also indicate that when a low-income minority child begins kindergarten, there are major disparities.
Grounds for Sculpture
Grounds For Sculpture is a 42-acre sculpture park, museum, and arboretum founded on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Opened to the public in 1992, it has become one of the premier cultural destinations in New Jersey, welcoming and enchanting over 3 million visitors since then.