Episode 2: Identities as Risk Factors.

- Why are aspects of my identity risk factors against me, my well-being and the quality of my life? - Why are Black Females the least protected group?. - We often hear and talk about the school to prison pipeline and the effects on Black boys and men as if there’s no impact on Black girls & Black women. Why? - Black girls and Black women are severely impacted by numerous racial disparities. Not only do they share these experiences with Black men and boys, they have additional struggles that only a black female would know, much less understand. Why is this? - Why am I only seen or celebrated if I conform to white middle-class femininity? - Why are black Women often seen as less than? - Understanding black female experiences aid in increased consciousness where our femininity is seen as inferior. This is what underlies exploitation & criminalization of Black girls. - Black women are subject to public scrutiny constantly that affects our ability to thrive & shape our identity, get opportunities, survive! - Why are black girls from low income families the prey for sexual predators & abusers? - Many Black women like myself have viewed defiance as a necessity sometimes: - Maybe to some Black women being.... - “Ghetto” represents resilience to racial & gender oppression. - “Loud” is a demand to be heard. - Having an “Attitude” is to reject a doctrine of invisibility & mistreatment. - Being “Fabulous” to revise the idea that SES isolation is equated with not having access to materially desirable things. To be a ghetto black girl means to reinvent what it means to be black, poor, and female. - Our survival skills are degraded and punished rather than recognized as tools of resilience. - These circumstances are a result of the judgmental perceptions about how we respond to injustice. What can we do? How do we change the narrative? How do we protect our Black girls? What role will you play in the decriminalization of Black girls in schools? What role will you play in the protection of Black women? What am i doing? - challenging the narrative and embracing my true self without conformity to white femininity. - Research to promote social justice. - Projects that bring awareness and teach the skills necessary - Allyship and mentorship of Black youngsters - Using my platforms to inform, inspire and educate. What will you do?