“Black girls will…” is the prompt that Mr. Ringgold used to open up the Black Student Achievement Program’s annual roundtable discussion on March 23.
The “State of the Black Girl Talk” was a panel discussion between students, teachers, and community leaders from around the county about social, economic, and personal issues that black girls face everyday.
The goal of the discussion was to encourage and empower black girls, while giving them resources and getting their feedback on how to resolve issues that they face.
The student portion of the panel consisted of graduates Jody Cole, Mouna Mawolo, and Janelle Darby, joined by a senior from Marriotts Ridge. Another graduate of Wilde Lake and Ms. Sharon Harris, a community outreach leader, also participated in the panel discussion.
Social and cultural issues concerning young black women were discussed, along with proposed solutions, like starting a mentorship program between older and younger girls to provide guidance and support. They touched on topics ranging from academic performance to racial stereotypes.
“I wanted to have a voice in helping girls prove that everything is possible. I believe that every girl should be confident in everything she does,” said graduate Jody Cole on why she wanted to attend the discussion.
Mr. Ringgold believes that the discussion was a success, and thinks that it is only the beginning.
“My hope is that the saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ becomes relevant. We all play a role in the development of the children in our village,” said Mr. Ringgold.
Mr. Ringgold continued the discussion at Long Reach on April 30 with a panel consisting of himself and administrators, the BSAP, and Delta Scholars at Long Reach.