FEBRUARY 2018
Hello Bali Family, My name is Gabriela Valette and I am the new Program Coordinator for the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute. I joined BALI's wonderful team in September and all I can say is that I am so happy to have made this decision in my life! Before joining BALI, I was the Program Coordinator for another amazing nonprofit whose mission was to help underserved kids who were left behind in school two or more times. Since starting at BALI, I have met many people from all spheres of life, and I have learned and grown so much because of them. As the Program Coordinator for BALI, not only do I get to be a pioneer in the success of our programs, but I am also given the opportunity to learn daily about all the hard work that goes into making sure our programs are delivered into the classrooms successfully and efficiently and that they are reaching the most underserved young women. My favorite part of my job is being with our students. As a Bronx native, I am excited to work at our after-school program at Mott Haven Village Preparatory School and introduce amazing workshops that focus on empowerment, confidence and the power in working together. I appreciate meeting and working with BALI "royalty" trainers as
we call them like Valerie and Vanessa, two amazing women who have graced me with compliments motivating me to become a mentor myself. As I learn from my students, I hope they can learn from me too. I am also happy to start preparing for our summer programs! This will be my first time working with my amazing coworker Oriela on BALI’s summer leadership and debate training program. Last year, I was able to visit a few workshops and the few visits alone were fun and inspirational. I encourage every young lady to learn about our opportunities and apply before all the seats are gone! And the great news is, this year we will be offering not one, but two cohorts of our summer program and I get to be a part of that!!! When I am not working, I am in class at Hunter College. This being my last semester, I am more than excited to finally graduate with my master’s degree in Urban Policy and Leadership. When I am not in class, I am writing poetry. Poetry is my meditation and navigation in life. I believe every woman should have a hobby to run to when the world is hard on them. Whether it be poetry, music, yoga, or cooking, run to your safe place, regain your energy and run back out and rule the world!
Gabriela Valette BALI Program Coordinator
Black Women Are the Embodiment of Black Glory By Tyece Wilkins, guest writer of The Huffington Post February 21, 2018
In the basement of East City Bookshop on a brisk D.C. night, Morgan Jerkins filled the room with her signature blend of intellect and style. It was the fifth night of her 17-stop tour for This Will Be My Undoing, a book I’d stumbled upon only a few days prior and instantly fallen head over heels in love with. My copy was already beginning to wear at the seams as I had ripped through the chapters all too quickly, convincing myself that I would reread it more gingerly the second time around. Jerkins’ book is a collection of personal essays from a black woman about being a black woman. During the talk, Jerkins shared some behind-the-scenes stories about her book proposal. She explained the concept of comparative titles — books from the last decade or so that have done well and are similar to the idea an author is pitching — before joking about how short her original list of comparative titles was. In 2018, it is surprising that there wouldn’t have been more books about the glory of black women for Jerkins to include on that list. Certainly black women are not only showing up in more spaces, but they are dominating them. From the rise of Rihanna’s Fenty makeup empire to Tiffany Haddish’s comedic quantum leap following last year’s ”Girls Trip,” most spheres of the world are filled with examples of how black women are making history and elevating the definition of success. Women like Rihanna and Haddish epitomize what many black women do best: pivoting from success on one platform to victory on another. Ava DuVernay did it as she moved seamlessly between the big screen and
television, and even tried her hand at directing music videos. Luvvie Ajayi embodied it when she sculpted the one-of-a-kind humor from her blog into a New York Times best-seller. Issa Rae illustrated it when she evolved from being a YouTube sensation into the director at the helm of a hit HBO series. This ability to translate raw talent from one arena to another is one way that our voices become ubiquitous. When we are present in more spaces, our talent becomes impossible to ignore. And black women’s ability to convert accomplishments from one area into achievements in another is not the only reason we are currently at the forefront. The rise of digital media has given us more avenues to tell our stories and provides audiences with more access to those narratives. When CaShawn Thompson coined the hashtag #blackgirlmagic, the moniker suddenly provided an umbrella to encapsulate all the incredible things black women were doing. The phrase transformed from a social media celebration to an apt way to characterize black women’s power and prowess. Last year, when Alyssa Milano hurled the #MeToo hashtag from her celebrity slingshot, it did not take long for the world to learn about and rally behind Tarana Burke, the activist who birthed the phrase over a decade ago. Though social media often proves to be a double-edged sword, particularly when women like Leslie Jones are attacked with a barrage of racial slurs, black women continue to take ownership in these online spaces and disrupt the conversation.
Black women are powerful forces of change and influence. We’d be hard-pressed to find a better example of that than our former first lady. In fact, chapter five of Jerkins’ book, “A Lotus for Michelle,” is an open letter dedicated to her. When the world saw Michelle Obama, it could no longer erase or ignore its black women. It could try to disfigure them. It could try to dismantle them. But when Obama stood adjacent to the leader of the free world, the world could no longer relegate black women to the sidelines. I want 2018 to be a watershed moment for black women. I want this to be the year that everything shifts and the world forever locks eyes with our talent. Yes, black women have been claiming victory and making history for years upon years. Only a few days ago, I watched Halle Berry’s 2002 Oscars speech for the umpteenth time, when she became the first black woman to win the lead actress award. But this is the time for the world to pay attention. This is the time for the world to take action. This is the time for the world not only to applaud us, but to also protect us. To respect us. To center us. It is not enough to simply detail a litany of our accomplishments and all of the ways that we continue to buck the system. Our light has been beaming from behind the scenes for too long. The ways we innovate and reimagine the world around us are not minimal, and they can no longer be marginalized. We need the people, infrastructure and advocacy in place to bring our skills to the main stage. There will be another Morgan Jerkins somewhere in the future. She, too, will write a collection of personal essays that goes on to become a New York Times best-seller. I only hope that when that next Morgan Jerkins works on her book proposal, she will not have to dig endlessly to develop a list of comparative titles. I hope there will be more books. I hope there will be more examples. I hope the world will
take notice, bring our stories and our glory to the forefront, and keep them there.
http://www.abzuginstitute.org/2018-application
Shooting Students Country Change
Leaves Across the Ready for
Wednesday, February 14, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School of Parkland, Florida saw the deadliest school shooting since the 2012 shooting of Sandy Hook Elementary School. The gunman and expelled student of the high school, Nikolas Jacob Cruz, killed 17 people and injured 15 using a semi-automatic weapon that he purchased legally the
year before. After the shooting, Cruz hid amongst fleeing students and left the school undetected. He was later found and detained nearby a local police department. The devastating shooting has sparked a wave of political discussions and protests concerning gun control. Many of these discussions have been spearheaded by Stoneman Douglas students themselves through meetings with legislators and protests. So far, legislation preventing certain convicts from purchasing firearms has been
passed in Oregon, and President Trump has promised to attempt passing legislation on more secure background checks as well as a ban on bump stocks.
Winter Olympics Brings New and Exciting Stories This year’s Winter Olympics have
given rise to countless record-breaking and awe-inspiring moments. Several trailblazing athletes emerged before the Olympics even began, including members of the Nigerian bobsled team, Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere, and Akuoma Omeoga, the first Africans to compete in the bobsled event, Maame Biney, the first Black woman to qualify for the United States speed skating team, and American figure skater Adam Rippon, the first openly gay American to qualify for the Winter Olympics. History continued to be made during the games with 17year-old snowboarder Chloe Kim winning gold and in doing so becoming the first in Olympic history to land back-to-back 1080’s, German skaters Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot earning gold for the highest score ever for pair skating in the Olympics, and the United States
Women’s Hockey team winning gold for the first time in 20 years
As DACA Deadline Draws Near, many are Left in a State of Confusion and Fear Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is set to end on March 5, and Congress and the Trump Administration have yet to decide on a permanent solution. On
February 15, the Senate voted on 4 different immigration proposals, the most popular being a collaboration between Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Angus King (I-ME). Compared to the other bills which represented either conservative agendas, such as Senator Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) bill, or
more progressive agendas, such as Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Chris Coons’(D-DE) bill, the “RoundsKing” bill fell predominantly in the center and was expected by many to do the best in the Senate. However, the bill faced an enormous amount of veto threats from the Trump Administration, as well as many critiques from immigrant rights organizations. The “Rounds-
King” bill, however, along with all of the other immigration proposals failed to pass the Senate, leaving the undocumented community and DACA protected individuals unsure about their future in the United States. Although the deadline for DACA is March 5, federal courts have blocked the president from ending the program, allowing undocumented youth to continue to apply for DACA status until further notice.
Tensions in Syria Continue, Eastern Ghouta Suffer After almost 500 civilian deaths within the week of February 18 from airstrikes in Eastern Ghouta by the Syrian government and Russia, the United Nations attempted several times to declare a ceasefire to allow for aid to reach the affected individuals. Russia, a supporter of the Syrian government, continually delayed such efforts on the basis that the ceasefire agreement
failed to include the Islamic State and the Nusra Front. Russia finally conceded on Saturday, February 24, and the UN Security Council established a 30-day ceasefire. However, shortly after the agreement was made, Syrian UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari assured that the Syrian government would continue to target “terrorist groups.” That Saturday night, yet another military airstrike was made on Eastern Ghouta.
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“My goal was to always stand for what I believe in and to think for myself, but I was always too scared to make that change. My family warned me about how I would get hurt if I stood up for myself. They told me they wanted me safe. I was taught to quietly except our society. I was confined by my surroundings and told to keep my head down. In BALI. I found other girls who felt as helpless as I did once, and succeeded in becoming strong inspiring women who continue to break boundaries. This group taught me that your age and gender shouldn't drag you down. Yes, I am 15. And yes, I am a girl. But how much should that really matter?" --Grace Tran, 11th Grade, Millennium High School
Avalon Zborovsky-Fenster Class of 2017 Only days after the Parkland shooting, sixteenyear-old BALI alumna Avalon Fenster was one of the many youth across the country who was ready to take action. That’s why she is the lead organizer of March For Our Lives Long Island, an organization with the mission of educating and
hundreds of teens as well as teachers and parents will gather to speak out for policies that keep our schools and communities safe. First and foremost however, it will be an event that honors and remembers the lives lost in school shootings since Columbine, which was nineteen years ago. With students from more than thirty five high schools who will be represented in attendance, Avalon hopes that this solidarity speakout rally will inspire youth her age to start taking action as well as show politicians that young people are more ready to demand change now than ever.
Alliyah Logan Class of 2016 empowering youth to advocate for policies leading to comprehensive solutions to end gun violence in our schools and communities at large. March For Our Lives is a nationwide movement started in response to a call by Parkland shooting survivors to action by youth. In only a little less than two weeks, Avalon and her core leadership team comprised of twelve teens representing seven different high schools on Long Island have accumulated more than one thousand followers on Instagram on the official March For Our Lives LI account, as well as three thousand and counting interested in the event on Facebook. At 11 AM, March
Since freshman year Alliyah has been involved in Model United Nations. The club has helped her grow as a leader. Model UN involves many different elements. As a delegate in a conference you should be able to adapt to your countries political point of view. While doing that you will come across countries that have different perspectives than your own. Alliyah says that she learned how to corroborate with different opinions to make a resolution that everyone would agree with. She utilized skills to ensure that everyone’s opinion is respected, and no one is ostracized. Model UN has shaped her into a better leader because she is able to work well with others. She does a lot of research for every committee that she attends,
enhances my understanding on diverse opinions. Alliyah appreciates the fact that she can expand my knowledge on international policies. She is happy to say that since the beginning of February she is the new President of the Model UN club at her school. Becoming the president was not an easy task because there many other qualified individuals who were also running for the same position. Usually in school clubs the former President and Co-President decide on who will take the role when they leave. This did happen, but she protested this idea because she felt that there should be an election. Alliyah was able to rally members of the club who all agreed that an election should be held. So, her partner and her wrote a speech on why we should be elected. Alliyah ended up winning the election and becoming president. It took a lot of work because she had to convince majority of the club members to vote for her. It was a very empowering experience because Model UN is generally filled with white men even though many people don’t acknowledge it. It was no surprise to her that the people running against me were mainly white men as well. There was no doubt in her mind that she was qualified for this position, but she knew that if she would have tried to the same thing a couple years back she would have questioned whether I was ready for this role. The article “The Confidence Gap” by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman discussed that womyn lack the same amount of confidence as a man. The article states that “In studies, men overestimate their abilities and performance, and women underestimate both. Their performances do not differ in quality.” Growing up, Alliyah says, she always underestimates herself but after going to BALI in 2016 she understood that it was extremely important for her to have the confidence to do anything. Being surrounded by powerful womyn showed me that she dosen’t have to question
whether she did something correct or not. She needs to have credence within herself. Alliyah says, “I remembered what BALI taught me, and I felt empowered that I would be able to represent Black womyn in a positive light. I had the initiative to get the job done.” Her advice to other BALI girls? “We as womyn must stop questioning and doubting our self-worth because when we do this, men will continue to succeed while we continue to fail. Build your confidence because everything you have to say is relevant and important. Use your voice, use your power and most importantly use your passion to get the job done. Hopefully, one day you can be the next president of the Model UN club at your school too!
Emma González: La nueva cara of Florida Latinx
Original articls from Washington Post, by Ed Morales
The Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has been a topic well covered in this month’s issue of the Bella Bulletin, especially the swift rise of a nationwide student coalition to prevent disasters like this from occurring again. One prominent face who definitely deserves her own spotlight, is Emma González, the eighteen-year-old, Cuban, bisexual leader of the Parkland Shooting resistance. González, who has gained significant media coverage over the past few weeks for
her outspoken and passionate rhetoric condemning Trump, among other politicians, for their accepting of donations by the NRA. Additionally, she represents a new generation who openly accepts their identity and is ready to make serious changes within the country’s leadership. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she wrote “What matters is that the majority of American people have become complacent in a senseless injustice that occurs all around them, what matters is that most American politicians have become more easily swayed by money than by the people w ho voted them into office.” Associate Professor at NYU, Ana María Dopico has drawn comparisons between Emma and Cuban revolutionary José Martí. She finds González “fascinating,” like millions
of others who have been captivated by her strength, and wisdom, across the country. Instead of shying away from what many have called “identity politics,” Emma employs
concepts, like intersectionality, to propel her activism, and allow her to connect with other demographics. Her strength is inspiring, her drive is powerful, and she’s still got years ahead of her. BALI girls, let us use Emma González as an example that no matter what barriers you may face, there can always be a chance for you to use your voice
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