Listening in on Our Young Black Girls
Columbus Councilmember Priscilla Tyson
Creates Commission on Black Girls to Build a Foundation for Strong Women
[COLUMBUS
– OH] “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men,” said
Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, author and women’s rights activist. It’s a
testimony that Columbus City Councilmember Priscilla Tyson is using to fuel the newly
formed Commission on Black Girls.
“Across the nation
and right here in Columbus, black women have the highest rates of poverty,
obesity, infant mortality and incarceration among all ethnic groups,” said
Tyson. “Why is this happening? What are our girls experiencing that has them on
pathways to poverty?"
The Commission was
created to understand the issues impacting black girls in Columbus and provide
recommendations that transform lives. It will focus on girls ages 11-22.
Currently, black
girls are:
- Three times more likely to live in poverty. (Kirwan
Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity Black Girls Project 2011)
- Five times more likely to be suspended from school.
- Twice as likely to be overweight and obese. (Kirwan
Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity Black Girls Project 2011)
“To
change the trajectory of the lives of black women, black girls must be given the
resources and benefits to improve their quality of life and provide them with
the tools to make good, long-term decisions,” Tyson continued.
In
Ohio, black women are:
- Twice as likely to live in poverty as compared to white
women with a similar education.
- Between the ages 18-34, experiencing the highest rates
of poverty in the state. (U.S. Census 2015-2016)
- Twice as likely to be imprisoned as compared to white
women with black women ages 18-19, being five times more likely to the
imprisoned. (Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services)
Initially,
the Commission will conduct fact-finding and education sessions to learn more
about the current quality of life for black girls in Columbus. They will then
dive into the work of developing recommendations to provide preemptive
solutions for young black girls to mitigate issues that manifest in adulthood.
The first organizational meeting takes place on Thursday, July 19, 4pm at City
Hall, 90 W. Broad St.
The
Commission on Black Girls will have no more than twenty-five voting members and
are appointed to serve without pay until December 31, 2020.
City
Council staff shall provide support to the Commission and ensure that meetings
are publicized to other parties interested in the promotion of black girls in
the community.
Commission
Co-Chairs
- Dr. Frederic Bertley, COSI
- Fran Frazier, Rise Sister Rise
Commission
Members
- Rev. Dr. Timothy Ahrens, First Congregational Church
- Linda Brown, The Links Incorporated – Columbus Chapter
- Crystal D. Causey, Coalition of 100 Black Women
- Clytemnestra L. Clarke, First Church of God
- LaShanda Coleman, National Pan-Hellenic Council of
Columbus
- Dr. Lisa Courtice, United Way of Central Ohio
- Mary Cusick, Women’s Fund of Central Ohio
- Dr. Kevin L. Dixon, Franklin Co. ADAMH Board
- Hon. Elizabeth Gill, Juvenile and Domestic Relations
Division, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas
- Alesia Gillison, Columbus City Schools
- Tom Grote, Grote & Turner
- Mia Hairston, Nationwide Insurance
- Kim Hooper, Walmart
- LC Johnson, YWCA
- Attorney DeShauna Lee, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
- Dr. Mysheika Roberts, City of Columbus
- Toshia Safford, Center for Healthy Families
- Chip Spinning, Franklin Co. Children’s Services
- Ben Tyson, Easton Town Center
- Paiden Williams, Rise Sister
Rise
Commission
Members scheduled to be appointed July 23
- Attorney Michael Corey, Humans Service Chamber of
Franklin County
- Dr. Wendy Smooth, The Ohio State University