An interesting article has been posted over at the Columbian Missourian. It delves into the plight of African American females and their attitudes towards themselves. A good read – here’s an excerpt:
The group of girls at Benton Elementary School gets together weekly to talk about ways to define respect for themselves and others.
Their goal for the day: build their own behavior plans. They sat three to a table and opened their sack lunches – peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, milk and Goldfish crackers.
While they ate, Cathy Cox explained that the floor was hers; the girls could not speak unless they were called on.
Cox reviewed the themes the girls had studied in the past week, then asked them to list some goals for themselves.
“I want ‘I can’ and ‘This means’ statements,” Cox said.
She had their full attention, wielding an encouraging smile one minute and, the next, a look that would make you want to duck under the table.
That combination of support and command is the key to R.I.S.E., a special group for third- through fifth-grade girls at Benton Elementary in Columbia. R.I.S.E. stands for Respecting Individual Style and Expression.
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