The findings of the study are what I, a Black woman, would say is of no surprise. My truth as a young Black girl and the light I see in the young Black girls of today made it obvious what young Black and Latinx girls are capable of when it comes to leadership — but the data shows that their white teachers, institutions and classmates who often act with bias and in complacency with the structures of white supremacy and racism are missing what's right under their noses: Black and Latinx girls are ready to lead.
The Ready to Lead study has the following findings:
I encourage anyone who works in any direct way with young girls to read this report and take accountability for the ways that they are showing up for Black and Latinx girls. The details this report offers can act as a new lens through which you reconsider the contributions and celebrations of our girls in your spaces.
Lastly, I encourage Black and Latinx girls and women to give it a read to be seen. To see our voices and experiences captured and celebrated. To be reminded that our experiences were not unique — it is the system that needs to be fixed, not us. We have always been and will continue to be ready to lead.
Girls Leadership — a national, educational nonprofit that is "fiercely committed to teaching girls K–12 to exercise the power of their voice" — hopes its Ready to Lead findings, announced Monday, "will monumentally impact the way that girls, especially Black and Latinx girls, are supported and taught to become skilled and ambitious leaders," the organization says. "These findings quantify both the strengths and assets of Black and Latinx girls and proves that they are poised to step into leadership — at school and beyond. Yet, institutional racial and gender bias in educational organizations and the broader society prevent Black and Latinx girls from fully activating their potential. This new data will serve to inform new curriculum and pathways for leadership development for the diverse needs of 25 million girls across the U.S., initiating necessary changes within educational institutions to address systemic gender and racial injustices." To get involved, visit readytolead.girlsleadership.org and use #ReadyToLead on social media.
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