Rites of Passage Girls Empowerment Newsletter

Meet the Staff Vice President Saliha Nelson Northwestern University Graduate, BS Programs Manager, Artistic Director & Newsletter Editor Shedia Nelson Hawai`i Pacific University Graduate, BA Mentor Candice Anderson, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, BFA Mentor Terrance Cribbs-Lo`rrant Bethune Cookman, BA, Florida International University, MS pending

WE BELIEVE

RITES OF PASSAGE NEWS

ELDERS are the ANCHORS of the community PARENTS are the COACHES and

APRI L 2013 ISSUE

YOUTH are the DRIVERS for CHANGE!

Urgent, Inc.’s mission is to empower young minds to transform their communities.

SAVE THE DATE! SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013 “She kept her bra on!: chronicles of a teenage love affair” a youth led production LOCATION

Intern Mentor Angela Pascoe Barry University MS pending

90 NW 29th St. Miami, FL

Youth Advisory Tanisha Fleming Turner Tech SHS

Time 10AM-11AM PHOTO VOICE EXHIBITION

Inside this issue: Events 2 Advice/ Events

3-4

Poetry

5-6

Calendar

7

PLAY SHOW TIME 11AM-1PM Tickets: $5/ students $15/Adults Read more details on page 2

Group rates available

URGENT, Inc. Center for Empowerment & Education CE2 1000 NW 1st Ave., Ste 100 Miami, FL 33136 (O) 786.439.154 (F) 866-811-7778 Shedia Nelson, Programs Manager Cel: 305.586.6694 www.urgentinc.org Email: Shedia@urgentinc.org WE VALUE: Patience Responsibility Learning Teamwork Innovation Compassion Reciprocity

“She

Kept Her Bra On!: Chronicles of Teenage Love Affair”

URGENT, Inc. presents an original youth led interactive theatrical production TICKETS: $15/ADULTS; $5/STUDENTS Earn Community Service Hours for attending

LOCATION: O-Cinema 90 NW 29th St., Miami, Fl 33127 The Rites of Passage Youth Theatre Ensemble puts the powerful tools of peer education and theatre in the hands of youth and adults who want to stop the cycles of domestic and dating violence. This youth led production will explore dating boundaries, love, fear and hope through a sisterhood of support and show how teens can find their voice, face adversity and overcome personal and institutional barriers to success to find happiness. Youth and adults need more education regarding critical issues related to healthy relationships in a format that is interesting, engaging, and accessible.

Snaps! Poetic Youth Expressions Some of the Featured Poems inspired by the

Get your copy of poetry with photos featured in the play Autographed by the Cast on Saturday, May 4th!

In the past I gave but never been given, most relationships left my insides empty and cold, so I promised myself I would never give but take. take all that I could take even if it wasn't given to me, to fill my Void

By Ja’nice Blanc

I’m trying to find something to base my life upon Something in this strange world that goes on and on.

As the years go by and time fades away Should I feel this way? the gate closes and I'm confused Again

By Elijah Wells

PAGE 3

FIELDTRIP REVIEW Little Haiti— four members of Rites of Passage attended Peter London’s Global Dance Company’s production at Little Haiti Cultural Center on Saturday, March 10, 2013. Bianca Novembre thought the production was “very nice and I enjoyed it a lot!”

Shakia Rankin appreciated how “all the dances had meaning to it.”

Kervelene Saintvil added “the dances were exotic and the different outfits caught my eye and were cute.”

Everyone enjoyed attending the production thanks to Peter London providing complimentary tickets. Thank you Peter London for your commitment to providing opportunities for youth to have access to experience cultural productions in their community.

MANDATORY FIELDTRIP Miami Dade County Bar Association: Horizons Committee Provides Fieldtrip

When: Saturday, April 13, 2013 Career Panel and Mock Interviews Attire: Business Casual Presents Career Development VISUAL ART AND CRITICAL ISSUES

What: Mock Interviews and phone etiquette Wednesday, April 10th Where: Edison High

with Passage to Womanhood When: Wed, Mar. 13th

On Time: 6:30-8PM Where: Williams Park

Must bring typed resume

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday, May 25, 2013 RITES OF PASSAGE GRADUATION & RECOGNITION CEREMONY Time: 12noon—3pm

PAGE 4

DEAR BLUE RAIN...

Dear Blue Rain, Is it rape if she didn’t say no but didn’t want to do it?

Sincerely, Misunderstanding

Dear Misunderstanding,

Rape is rape. Forcing sex is a violent crime, not a sexual act. Every person has a right to set their own limits or change their mind. Each individual maintains the right to decide what happens to their own body. If someone says "no" verbally or appears distressed, scared, uncomfortable, cries, pleads or begs, you need to stop!

Forcing sex without consent is rape. Does it

Ticket stubs from porno flicks in his pocket But if you’ve been seen in public wit him Danced one dance Kissed him good-bye lightly Wit closed mouth Pressin charges will be as hard As keepin yr legs closed While five fools run a train on you These men friends of ours Who smile nice And take us out to dinner…

Bein betrayed by men who know us & expect Like the stranger We always thot was comin That we will submit We must have known Women relinquish all personal rights In the presence of a man Who apparently cd be considered a friend Especially if he has been considered a friend & is no less worthy of bein beat within an inch of his life Bein publicly ridiculed Havin to fists shoved up his a— Than the stranger We always thot it wd be We cd have em over for dinner & get raped in our own houses By invitation A friend

matter what she wears or if she invited a guy/ girl over? Is it her fault? Is it her fault she kissed him/her first? Does it matter if they both were drinking and her friends left her at a party to fend for herself? Does it matter if the rape was video taped and posted online? Does it matter that her body was used and abused like her thoughts and dignity were disregarded?

Does it matter if s/he’s promiscuous? Does it matter if it was a ‘friend’? Does it matter if the person considers suicide after being raped?

Does it matter that a person is cyber bullied, Florida Age of Consent statute: A person 24 ridiculed or labeled? Does it matter s/he paid years of age or older who engages in sexual acfor the meal or movie ticket? Does s/he autotivity with a person 16 or 17 years of age commatically owe them something in return?

According to a poll at Palo Alto School 57 per-

mits a felony of the second degree.

There is help for anyone who has been raped.

Free counseling, medical exam and treatment is available. Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital provides services to children, adolescents and adult victims of sexual assault (the only center of its kind in Miami-Dade County), as well as non-offending serves to be sexually assaulted by anyone for any family members and relatives of the victims. All services are free to the victim and are completely reason. confidential regardless of police involvement.

Tips: An excerpt from Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem Report it to the police, go to safe place “For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide Save all clothing, don’t douche When the Rainbow is Enuf”: Don’t bathe before getting a medical exam A rapist is always to be a stranger Call 24/7 Hotline 305-585-RAPE (7273) To be legitimate Sincerely, Someone you never saw Blue Rain A man wit obvious problems cent of students at their high school agreed that certain women are more likely to be raped because of "promiscuous behavior" and 26 percent thought a woman is responsible for the assault if she gets drunk first (http:// www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/10/palo-alto -high-school-stu_n_3053616.html). No one de-

PAGE 5

RITES OF PASSAGE NEWS

What’s Happening in Rites of Passage

Passage to Womanhood performed for Hands 2 Help, Inc.’s Holiday for

Bethune Cookman College

Experiential Learning

PAGE 6

RITES OF PASSAGE NEWS

She Kept Her Bra On!: Campaign for Girls-Well-being produces “Chronicles of Teenage Love Affairs”, a youth-led production

With the support of Macy’s for donating over $600 worth of bras for the past 3 years and school board member of district 2, Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall championing a teen dating policy with a peer led curriculum for Miami Dade Public Schools is helping to elevate girls well-being!

5

Rites of Passage Youth Development Girls Club Meetings For Who: Girls ages10-18 Closed: Holiday and Spring Break, Teacher Planning, Early Release Days and inclement weather

Where: Edison Park Elementary Where: Media Center

When: Tuesdays Time: 2:30-5:00pm Room: 203 Where: Edison Eduplex SHS

*For more information: Call (305)586-6694

500 NW 67th St., Miami, FL 33150

6161 NW 5th Ct. Miami, Fl 33127

Work America, Inc.

When: Wednesdays Time: 2-4pm

When: Wednesdays and Thursdays Time: 3–5pm Rm: C-149

430 NW 9th St. Miami, FL 33136 When: Mondays Time: 6:30-8pm

Where: B. T. Washington, Sr.

Girl Power

1200 NW 6th Ave. Miami, FL 33136

6015 NW 7th Ave., Miami, FL 33127

April 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

14

15

16

17

21

22

23

24

28

29

30

Hands 2 Help, Inc.: Passage to Womanhood 3rd year partnership Sierra Club Miami Inner City Outings 8 year partnership Dade County Bar Association Horizons Committee, 7 yr partnership

10

11 18 25

THANK YOU COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Mi-Lola—Miami International Latinas Organizing Leadership and Advocacy, 3rd year partnership IT Women—Information TechnolProgram funding provided ogy, 3rd year by: partnership

9 yr partnership

12

13

19

20

26

27

Thank you for re-funding

Rites of Passage for 2012-2013 The Rites of Passage Program is generously funded by The Children’s Trust. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of funding created by voter referendum in 2002 to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future – because all children are our children.