“Well there you go, and that’s what the south side of Chicago produces!” -First Lady, Michelle Obama

Could you imagine having the opportunity to formally introduce the First Lady of the United States as a freshman in high school?

Well, Polished Pebble mentee Deneen Borner did, & she’s heading to college at Mississippi Valley State University this Fall and we need your help to make sure she can get there!

In 2011, Polished Pebble mentee, Deneen Borner, had the privilege of introducing First Lady Michelle Obama at the National Mentoring Summitt in Washington, DC. The First Lady’s reaction to that introduction spoke accolades to the work we do with girls. She simply stated, “well there you go, and that’s what the south side of Chicago produces.” This comment spoke to the impact of our mentoring model and the possibility to extend our reach to more communities. You can check out Deneen’s speech below!

We couldn’t have been more proud of Deneen, after giving such a stellar speech. And, she continued to impress us as she beat the odds for the next four years, attending high school at Harlan Community Academy in Chicago, maintaining a 3.7 GPA, joining the National Honors Society and the Young Business Development Institute, and maintaining a part time job. Although she’s had a lot of personal obstacles to overcome, she’s excited about starting college.

Please donate to ensure that we can support Deneen with transportation, fees to get Deneen get to her college orientation, and final move in date. With such an excellent start, we can only imagine how far Deneen will go! Please help reach the stars!  DONATE HERE!

Thanks in advance

Today, I’d like to share a story written by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu in the “Black Star Journal” which is entitled, “Have Black Girls Been Overlooked?” “The Black Star Journal” is the news and events archive of The Black Star Project, an organization in Chicago led by Phillip Jackson.  Kunjufu’s article highlights alarming statistics about the dire situation that many black girls are facing as they are being educated in schools across the country such as, high rates of illiteracy, high drop out rates, and some of the highest rates of school suspensions.  For many us that have been closely involved with working with African American girls, this is not news.  In fact, I’ve blogged about some of the research that this article is based on months ago.  I share this today not as an attempt to object to or criticize the President’s National Initiative to support black boys, “My Brother’s Keeper.”  Nor, should this be considered as an endorsement for much of the debate in the social media movement #WhyWeCantWait.

No, I am merely a mentoring practitioner who wants more in our community to recognize how much ALL of our youth, including our girls, are in need of support, resources, and advocacy in ensuring that our schools are providing our children with adequate educational opportunities.  Because if it’s true that only 18% of black girls are proficient in reading, then etiquette lessons, girl empowerment conferences, and fun field trips are not enough to remedy this tragedy!