Sister to Sister International Inc.'s Biannual Report (January - June 2021)

SISTER TO SISTER INTERNATIONAL, INC.

2021 BI-ANNUAL REPORT

JANUARY-JUNE 2021

STSI IS ON THE MOVE!

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF STSI!

Greetings!

On behalf of the Sister to Sister International, Inc. (STSI) family, we would like to express our gratitude to those who supported re-shaping and re-imagining the future for thousands of Black women and girls in Westchester County.

On the next few pages, we've gathered a collection of January 2021 through June 2021 highlights that we are proud to share with you. We hope they will inspire you to support our efforts through funding and or sharing your time and talents.

We will continue to fight for equity, inclusion, and opportunities for Black women, girls, and their families to thrive!

If you have any questions or would like more information about STSI, please do not hesitate to contact us.

In solidarity,

Cheryl Brannan, STSI Founder

Germaine Scott & Zelda Strong-Diaz, STSI Board Co-chairs

STILL I RISE!

In 2019, we released a baseline research report that provides a snapshot on Black women and girls in Westchester County.

This report entitled, “Still I Rise” is an extension of our work that began in 2015 with the Obama White House Council on Women and Girls.

This groundbreaking research is meant to bolster our efforts and assist us in managing by fact. The report is also a testament to the resilience of Black women and girls, many of whom have achieved against the odds, rising to key positions.

READTHEREPORT

On behalf of the Sister to Sister International, Inc (STSI) family, we would like to express our gratitude to those who supported re-shaping and re-imagining the future for thousands of Black women and girls in Westchester County.

Building on STSI's monumental research on the Status of Black Women & Girls in Westchester County Still I Rise Report (2019), STSI convened a host of Community stakeholders to analyze root causes of racial disparities and map out a course of action using a collective impact framework.

In this regard, during 2021, we have made great strides related to the following four pillars:

Suspensions, Trauma & the Juvenile Justice System

Teenage Pregnancy, Maternal Health & Healthy Lifestyles

Entrepreneurship, Pay Equity & Economic Prosperity

STEM, STEAM and Health Curricula & Careers

We are grateful for the Workgroup Teams that have worked tirelessly to ensure our ongoing success.

View the workgroup membership for each pillar by clicking the links below.

Best Practices, Prevention & Recovery and Policy & Advocacy

Teenage Pregnancy, Maternal Health & Healthy Lifestyles

Entrepreneurship, Pay Equity & Economic Prosperity

STEAM Curriculum, Pipeline & Directory

Making a Difference In Our Community!

January 30

We kicked off the year in fine fashion with our first virtual STSI Board retreat

The keynote speaker was Dr. Valerie Mason Cunningham, who did a great job and our 22 member team adopted their 2021 slogan, "Together we can go FAAR: Faith, Action & Accountability = Results!" 2020 milestones were celebrated, and 2021 goals and strategies were discussed and adopted

Click HERE to learn about our board.

Meet STSI's esteemed Board of Directors HERE.

February 17

Black History Month Maternal Health Ribbon Cutting Press Conference with Community Partners & Elected Officials

We partnered with Nubia Earth Martin, President of Birth from the Earth, Inc. on the Ribbon Cutting at Earth Groundz, her new space located at 15 Main Street, in Yonkers. It is dedicated to centering holistic healing and creating access to resources like reproductive life and womb wellness, including the Art of Birthing workshops, Chocolate Milk Cafe', Village Baby Showers, African Dance & Movement, along with classes on herbs nutrition and healing.

We also launched a framework for our Preeclamsia and Sisters Beating the Odds & Claiming Wellness Campaigns. Special thanks to all of our elected officials and community partners who supported this effort: NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins; Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano; Yonkers City Councilwoman, Shanae Williams; Legislators Chris Johnson and Ruth Walters; Cheryl Hunter Grant, STSI Maternal Health Committee; Dr. Angela Campbell, Executive Director, Lower Hudson Valley Perinatal Network;

Making a Difference In Our Community!

February 20

We partnered with American Association of University Women (AAUW) for our first SMART Salary Negotiations webinar. A follow-up webinar was held in May for Gen Y, Z & millennials. Participants learned how to advocate for themselves and understand the impact of not being paid what they are worth during ones worklife Black women have to work a full 8 months more to earn what a non-Hispanic white male earns in just one year! STSI has not only provided educational webinars, but has also conducted twitter storms and other advocacy activities to level the playing field and promote pay equity for Black women.

February 24

We partnered with Investinkin to host a virtual match-maker session for companies, projects, real estate deals, and investors Similar to Shark Tank, women were part of the potential investment process by observing sharks pitch their services and asking followup questions as a potential investor. We need more Black women to become investors.

Making a Difference In Our Community!

February 28 – March 4

We held a successful gourmet popcorn fundraiser to raise money to expand our STEAM and STEM programs designed to introduce Black girls to tech careers and support their overall growth.

Special thanks to all of our STSI Board Members, STEAM parents, and friends who helped us raise $20,000 for STEAM and STEM exposure, tutoring, college prep, mentoring, leadership, and selfconfidence-building activities for our girls.

Board members Vera Cheek and Rev. Marcia White Smith, along with STEAM Parents Larry and Sonya Wilson, were our top fundraisers!

This event was co-chaired by Board Members: Deana Nelson, Ghia Clark, and Board Co-chairs Zelda Strong & Germaine Scott.

March 20

STSI convened a virtual workshop during our Annual UN Day during the 65th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women The themes were decision-making for women, technology, and economic prosperity. STSI and Community Partners connected with women and girls from around the world.

This event was chaired by STSI Board Member Mabel Ngoe Takona and featured STSI STEAM Sistahs, Sayidana Brannan Douglas, MA & Entrepreneur; Jenna Cherasard, 2nd Year Sophie Davis Medical Student and Mabel Takona, NYU College student.

March 28

We honored STSI Inaugural Board Member and trailblazer, Hon. Queen Mother Pearl C. Quarles, who is 90 years young!

She was the first African-American to serve as President of the New Rochelle Board of Education, the first African-American female to serve as a Westchester County Legislator, and the first African American to be hired in a "white collar" position in the banking industry in Westchester County

We are beyond blessed to have Hon. Mother Pearl C. Quarles extend her wisdom, love, and support to our Board, members, and community-at-large.

Making a Difference In Our Community!

March 30

We hosted a health and wellness trivia game night to celebrate Women's History Month.

Attendees discovered healthy eating tips and gained insight about achieving and maintaining an overall healthier lifestyle.

April 13

We proudly partnered with Westchester Women’s Agenda to host Professor Loretta Ross, co-creator of The Theory of Reproductive Justice and the founder of the National Center for Human Rights Education.

Prof. Ross led a very engaging and informative conversation that left attendees fueled for the fight for reproductive justice for our women and girls.

April 20

We hosted back-to-back events focused on mental health to teach parents how to identify the signs of youth mental health challenges and seek the necessary support from an expert.

April 23

Our follow-up event taught Westchester youth ages 12 to 18 about emotional acceptance, selfcare tips, and the value of professional help.

Making a Difference In Our Community!

April 27

In honor of National Financial Literacy Month, we held our economic prosperity webinar series for Black families in Westchester about managing money, credit, debt, and investing.

We partnered with Facet Wealth's African American Affinity Group who presented during the webinar.

Special thanks to Maxine Attobrah, our Economic Prosperity Co-Chairperson for spearheading this event.

April 29

We hosted a virtual presentation on equity for parents of Black children in Westchester to empower them with proven techniques to advocate for their children’s educational needs and wellbeing, as well as receive resource tools for ongoing guidance and support. Steering Committee member Pat White chaired this effort, along with a great team!

May 1

On the heels of National Financial Literacy Month, we hosted a salary negotiation and pay equity webinar Part 2 targeting Gen Y, Z, and millennials. We wanted to share the knowledge with them at the onset of their work lives to assist with maximizing their earnings during their lifecycle.

May 13

Training community partners on collective impact and meeting facilitation are important to achieve on-going success with our Black Women Girl Child initiative. Workgroup leaders and members participated in a special training to gain tips on conducting effective meetings and keeping participants engaged, to maximize results. The training was facilitated by Dr. Valerie Mason Cunningham, owner of Pride Matters, LLC., and Cheryl Brannan, STSI Founder & President of Brannan Solutions Group. Participants gave the session rave reviews!

Making a Difference In Our Community!

May 22

We honored seven exemplary Black leaders and Westchester residents at our second Virtual High Tea fundraiser.

Thanks to our donors, we raised over $10,000 for the Reach for STSI’s Stars Scholarship Fund for Youth in our Community to support local graduates pursuing higher education.

View the honoree slide show HERE.

June 18

We held a Partner Roundtable to obtain current information about their programs for girls. We explored ways to leverage resources to refer parents to their services in a Black Girls Program Resource Directory.

June 26

A training was held for our Board members to discover ways to maximize our strengths. We learned how to manage personality types, communication, and work styles to maximize outputs and our overall effectiveness as a team.

The training was facilitated by Dr. Cheryl Burton, Leadership Coach & Consultant, and was very effective. We can't wait for Part 2 in the fall!

Wellness Booklet

We created a wellness booklet to help women keep track of their important health milestones and basic health screenings, including:

Pap smear

Cholesterol

Mammogram

HIV/AIDS

Blood Pressure

AC1

Knowing your status and staying on top of your health with preventive care and regular check-ups is key

Download your booklet HERE.

Sister to Sister International holds Special Consultative Status with the UN and links our girls to global causes STSI STEAM Sistahs present at UN Conferences during our Annual Workshop. Click below & Check out Jenna Cherasard & Sayidana Brannan -Douglas during the 2021 Workshop spotlighting Mentoring & Entrepreneurship.

Watch Jenna Cherasard's HERE.

Watch Sayidana Brannan- Douglas HERE.

Thank you!

On behalf of the STSI Board, staff, members, and stakeholders, we extend a heartfelt "Thank you" and many nods of gratitude to our committed sponsors and partners who help fund programs for our Black Women Girl-Child initiatives. We could not do it without you!

Help strengthen Westchester's Black women, girls, and families by connecting them to available resources, broadening perspectives, and expanding possibilities!

Click HERE to make a donation today.

Across Westchester, women, and girls just like you are stepping up their commitment to making a difference in our communities!

Exercise your responsibility to demand the change our families deserve

Click HERE to join the sisterhood today.

THOMAS AND AGNES CARVEL FOUNDATION

Cheryl Brannan, STSI Founder