She Matters: Protecting & Uplifting the Well-Being of Black Girls – Webinar Series

The Black Lives Matter movement has invited all of us into deeper reflection about the impacts of racism and privilege on us, on our communities, and in our work to end domestic and sexual violence. To be effective, we need to understand and acknowledge the long history of exploitation and violence against Black and brown people, and how systems of racism and oppression continue to shape the experience of Black girls today, increasing their vulnerability to harm and providing fewer options for safety and justice.

Southwest PA Says No More is proud to be a partner of Gwen’s Girls and the Black Girls Equity Alliance, in sponsoring the She Matters webinar series, to center the experiences of Black girls and femmes and to examine our responsibility to protect them from harm and to promote culturally relevant, trauma-informed supports for healing and wholeness. We believe that when Black and gender-nonconforming youth are safe, supported and nurtured, we will have created a community where everyone can thrive.

She Matters Webinar Series: Protecting & Uplifting the Well-Being of Black Girls

She Matters: Mental, Sexual and Reproductive Health Inequities Facing Black Girls During Covid-19
Thursday, July 16, 2020, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.  No cost. Register here. 

This webinar will explore Black girls’ health and wellness, including sexual and reproductive health. In 2019, Gwen’s Girls published a report documenting a multi-year needs assessment conducted by the Black Girls Equity Alliance’s (BGEA) Health and Wellness working group, titled Black Girls and Sexuality Education: Access. Equity. Justice. The report’s primary finding was that comprehensive sexual education in Allegheny County is inconsistent and non-systematic with youth being dissatisfied with the sexual health education or lack of sexual health education that they receive. BGEA would like to invite parents and advocates to learn more about the findings, address how they are further impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and share their thoughts about sexual health education in area schools.

Panelists:

• D’Aujanae Diggs, Student, Youth Advocate, Black Girls Advocacy and Leadership Alliance
• Shielah DeBlanc, MS, NCC, LPC, Clinical Coordinator, Gwen’s Girls
• Britney Brinkman, PhD., Associate Professor, Point Park University
• José Garth, Violence Prevention Program Manager, Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania
• Latausha Bonner-Johnson, SistahSpeak! Youth Project Manager, NewVoices for Reproductive Justice
• Ashley Hill, DrPH, MPH, Postdoctoral Scholar Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
• Betty J. Braxter, PhD, CNM, RN Associate Dean and Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing

Save The Date for upcoming webinars:

She Matters: Black Girls’ Experiences with Bullying and Sexual Harassment
Thursday, August 13, 2020, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

She Matters: Black Girls and Gender-Based Violence
Thursday, September 10, 2020, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. 

All sessions will be via Zoom. Registration required. Learn more at http://gwensgirls.org/events/.