Black Girl Rising, Inc.

P.O. Box 09110
Columbus, Ohio 43209

Populations we serve:

Trauma Initiatives:

Our Mission

The mission of Black Girl Rising, Inc. is “Placing Black girls at Promise.” This mission statement was inspired by a quote from the American Psychological Association Task Force on Resilience and Strength in Black Children and Adolescents (2008), “For African American adolescents to develop into individuals actively engaged in optimal personal and collective development, they must be placed “at promise” as opposed to “at risk” in order to become contributing members of their families, schools, communities, and the broader society.”

Black Girl Rising, Inc. helps Black girls become resilient in spite of the trauma they face, to become stronger and believe in their own inner power and make strength-based decisions through encouraging girls, providing them opportunities to think critically, with supporting adults. The goal is to empower them to successfully meet life’s challenges with a sense of self-determination, confidence to handle what comes before them, hope in the future and a feeling of well-being.

More about our Organization

Rise Sister Rise is a Network, not an Agency. All Committee members are volunteers. No treatment services in the traditional sense are provided. Committee members are expected to donate their time and financial resources.
The Adult Sisters Committee is lead by two Co-Chairs who share the responsibilities of facilitating the work of Black Girl Rising, Inc. Some implementation costs for activities are covered by Committee members and the following community partners:
• Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board of Franklin County
• Central Community House
• Columbus Urban League
• Creative Women of Color Arts Collective
• Divine Nine Sororities
• Franklin County Children Services (FCCS)
• FCCS Malaika Program
• Franklin County Youth Council
• IMPACT Safety
• Mount Carmel Health
• National Coalition of 100 Black Women of Central Ohio
• Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
• OSU African American and African Studies Community Extension Center
• Women’s Fund of Central Ohio

Black Girl Rising, Inc. adult advisors and allies play a pivotal role in providing guidance, support and resources in a non-judgmental, non-intrusive approach. Our adults bring a variety of skill sets and prior experiences to enhance the work of our girls. Examples include program development, small group facilitation, girls’ empowerment, media relations and training, organizational collaboration and capacity building, board development, research skills, fiscal accountability, performance-based evaluation, trauma informed care and teen mental health training. Adult advisors have attended professional development workshops and seminars on trauma informed care, building resiliency in teens, the role of neuroscience in brain development, empowerment self-defense, and group facilitation.
We encourage the women to not teach, preach, or tell their story unless they are asked. The biggest gift that the adults can give to the girls is active listening. Women who work with girls need to have addressed their own trauma before working with the girls, so that they are able to stand back and listen. You have to establish that trust and respect and let the girls ask you, not tell them. All of the work, whether it’s a think tank, summit, conference, is designed to help the girls get comfortable with their own voice, and the only way to do that is to serve as a facilitator as opposed to as a teacher or mentor.
Committee members are invited to attend all Think Tank meetings, when available women attend. Women are involved in the discussions, provide input, however if any decisions are made, they are made by the girls. The Committee women treat young people like they can be leaders as they are and recognize that they can be leaders now, even though there is still room for growth.

Contact Person: fran frazier
Founder
womensworkfcf@gmail.com
6142643389