Winter 2023 – Spring 2024
About Sister to Sister International, Inc. (STSI)
Established in 1994, STSl’s mission is to motivate, educate, train and advocate for the advancement of Black women, girls and families locally and globally. In 2019 STSI unveiled a seminal research report entitled, “Still I Rise: Status of Black Women and Girls in Westchester County.” The four pillars of the research report have evolved into program areas of focus and collective impact workgroups with various community partners. The research pillars and workgroups are STEM & STEAM Education, Health and Wellness/Black Maternal Health, Juvenile and Social Justice and Entrepreneurship, Pay Equity and Economic Prosperity. STSI also holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations since 2004, participates in global activities and co-hosts an Annual UN Commission on the Status of Women Event.
PILLAR #1 BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH & HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
Problem Statement: Black women in Westchester County run a higher risk of dying or near death in relation to pregnancy, childbirth, and afterbirth, in comparison to their White counterparts. Additionally, Type 2 diabetes and obesity affect the African American community disproportionately in Westchester County.
The Facts:
• Nationally maternal mortality is 3 to 4 times higher for Black women then for White women
• From 2017 – 2021 42.9% of Black women had a cesarean section compared to 37.5% of White women
• The infant mortality rate for Black infants was 2.3 per 1,000 live births compared to 0.9 for White women
• Black women had 12.9% of low-birth-weight babies compared to 6.1% of White women
Long Term Goals & Outcomes: The goal is to improve Black maternal health outcomes through increased public awareness, outreach to pregnant women and their support systems and educating health care providers regarding the social determinants of health and the bias that negatively impacts black maternal health outcomes.
Some Accomplishments to Date:
• Partnered with various community partners to create the Westchester Black Maternal & Child Center of Excellence (WBMCCE) with 4 pillars designed to educate and train all targeted populations noted above; Advocate for policy change – Momnibus Act, Preeclampsia Campaign; Conduct on-going research and create a countywide dashboard; Celebrated the WBMCCE with a ribbon cutting on November 2022.
• Partnering with St. Johns Riverside Hospital, Westchester County government, various elected officials and community partners to support impactful program funding and systems change required for improved outcomes for Black birthing people.
• Sponsored a Screening of “Aftershock” a documentary that chronicled unnecessary deaths of Black women in our country and potential solutions.
• We will continue to educate the public and provide resources for Black women related to obesity prevention and healthy lifestyles via our Sisters Beating the Odds and Claiming Wellness campaign.
PILLAR #2 STEM/STEAM & HEALTH CAREERS
Problem Statement: Black and Brown girls, in Westchester County and beyond, face gender and racial barriers that limit their awareness of and access to STEAM programs and resources. In fact, they are often deterred from and/or not exposed to STEAM fields as early as elementary and middle school, which leads to underrepresentation in STEAM-related high school courses, college majors, and careers. STEAM-related skills are useful to critical thinking, problem solving and more.
The Facts:
• STEAM jobs are growing almost two times as fast as non-STEAM jobs, and pay on average two times more
• Diverse STEAM professionals can lead to new innovations and problem-solving
Long Term Goals & Outcomes:
More Black and Brown girls in Westchester County will:
• Be ready to / interested in entering STEAM related fields
• Have STEAM related knowledge and skills
• Be better positioned for future success
Some Accomplishments to date:
• Sponsored 13th Annual STEAM Summer Camp and year-round Academy for Black and girls of color – first of its kind in Westchester
• An STSI STEAM Sistah cohort participated in a Professional Development six-month pilot with UKG – a leading international Human Resource & Tech Company
• Sponsored 2 individual Student and Parent mental health webinars
• Creating a STEAM Resource Directory
• Sponsored Mentoring Circles on College Preparation, Engineering and Medicine and Health Careers
• Co-sponsored Financial Literacy conference with community partner Mercy College – STEP Program
• Sponsored Artificial Intelligence and Pharmacy workshops for students working with community partners
PILLAR #3 ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PAY EQUITY & ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
Problem Statement: In comparison to other groups, Black women face systemic racism and other barriers that lead to unequal pay, and impede their ability to grow, establish longevity and stability as business owners, which creates higher rates of poverty and a significant wealth gap in their lifetime
The Facts:
• In NYS Black women are paid 68 cents on the dollar compared to White male; In NYS Black women earn 80.7% of the median income of White women
• This leads to greater poverty levels throughout the US and in NY; In the US, 1 in 4 Black women live in poverty
• The largest demographic living in poverty is Black women, ages 25 - 34
• Westchester County, the median annual income in the Black community is $55,400 vs. $107,484 in the White community
• In Westchester County, the overall poverty rate is 16.2% in the Black community and 6.7% in the White community
Still, many Black women seek to start their own business: the largest number of businesses were owned by Black women in 2017-2018
Long Term Goals & Outcomes:
The wealth gap in Westchester is reduced; Black women are paid equitably; Black women’s median income increases and matches their white counterparts; Fewer Black women live in poverty;
Some Accomplishments to Date:
• Launched a Black online Business Directory for Westchester County & Beyond – Directory https://s2si.org
• Conducted NYS MWBE (Minority Women Business Enterprise) business certification workshop & Westchester County Catalyst training
• Advocacy - Spearheaded a Black Women’s Pay Equity Day Movement in Westchester encouraging fair pay for Black women
• Conducted workshops on Home Ownership & Investments, Financial Literacy and Pay Equity
PILLAR #4 JUVENILE & SOCIAL JUSTICE
Problem Statement: Black students, in Westchester and beyond, bear the brunt of out-of-school suspensions and are over-represented in the juvenile detention system, which creates trauma and barriers for their future trajectory
The Facts:
• Nationally, Black girls are 7X more likely to be suspended than their White peers, and 4X more likely to be arrested
• In Westchester County, they’re also suspended at higher rates than their White peers (Peekskill: 9.3% vs. 6%, Yonkers: 6.9% vs. 1.6%, White Plains: 6.5% vs. 1%, New Rochelle: 4.5% vs. 1.4%)
• Black girls are pushed out of school and referred to the legal system 3.7% more than their White peers for minor offenses like dress code and tardiness
• Black youth represent 14% of Westchester’s juvenile population yet 62% of its detention population; they also represent 56% of the county’s foster care system
Long term Goals & Outcomes:
The School to prison pipeline is disrupted; Black girls are able to pursue futures free from the trauma and challenges that come from unfair racialized schools suspensions; Parents, school personnel and program administrators are trained on equity and inclusion; Parents feel equipped to “step-up” and advocate for their children
Some Accomplishments to Date:
• Sponsored screenings of “Pushout” and “On these Grounds” to educate the public on the issues facing Black girls in schools and other environments
• Conducted workshops to educate and advance parents’ knowledge on equity and cultivating civic voice; Developed a cohort and piloted a customized training curriculum
• Conducted residential student focus groups to collect additional insight on their lived experiences
• Conducted focus groups for public school students to assess student needs and instill resilience strategies
• Conducted round table with Department of Social Services and Probation
• Sponsored educational workshop and advocated for adoption of NYS Solutions Not Suspensions legislation
• Conducted a webinar on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)
CherylBrannan,STSIFounder&BlackWomenGirlChildConvener
GermaineScott,STSIBoardCo-Chair
ZeldaStrongDiaz,STSIBoardCo-Chair &AnOutstandingteamofBoardMembers,Consultants, Committee&WorkgroupMembers,CommunityPartners,andvariousvolunteers
Contactusatbwgc2015@gmail.comtojoinaworkgrouptoday!
Contact STSI at: https://s2si.org ~ 914-207-0368 ~ @stsionthemove ~ @stsiinternational