IN PART THREE OF OUR MONTH-LONG LOOK AT WOMEN
BUSINESS LEADERS IN THE BERKSHIRES, WE FEATURE THE
CONTRIBUTIONS OF COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, SHIRLEY EDGERTON.
SHE IS THE FOUNDER OF A MENTORING PROGRAM FOR
ADOLESCENT GIRLS CALLED THE "RITES OF PASSAGE AND
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM," MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS "ROPE".
EDGERTON RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH CONNECTING POINT'S
CAROLEE MCGRATH TO DISCUSS WHY SHE DECIDED TO START THIS
PROGRAM 9 YEARS AGO.
>> IT'S BASICALLY MENTORING PROGRAM FOR YOUNG WOMEN IN
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, WE HAVE A STRONG FOCUS ON
EDUCATION, TRANSITIONING INTO WOMANHOOD, CELEBRATING
WOMANHOOD.
SO -- THAT PROCESS OCCURS THROUGH THE YOUNG WOMEN BEING
CONNECTED TO A PROFESSIONAL MENTOR OUR YOUNG WOMEN ARE
PREDOMINANTLY OF COLOR, AND SO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM
TO ENGAGE WITH PROFESSIONAL WOMEN OF COLOR.
>> HOW DO YOU DEVELOP SELF-ESTEEM WITH WOMEN OF
COLOR, SAME COULD BE SAID FOR YOUNG MEN, YOUR FOCUS IS
TEENAGE GIRL, THAT IS A HARD AGE FOR EVERYBODY, HOW DO YOU
DEVELOP THAT SENSE OF SELF-WORTH?
>> THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
SO IT'S COMPREHENSIVE, AND AT LEAST THE WAY WE APPROACH IT,
WE HAVE A HOLISTIC PROGRAM WHERE WE DEAL WITH ALL ASPECTS
OF OUR BEING, SO THE PHYSICAL, THE SPIRITUAL, THE MENTAL.
SO WE MEET ONCE A MONTH, AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT TOPICS
THAT WE COVER WITHIN THE SCHEME OF BEING HOLISTIC
BEINGS.
THE MENTORS ARE EITHER -- GUESTS WILL COME IN AND HAVE
CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUNG WOMEN.
THAT'S ONE WAY, WE START OFF OUR MEETINGS WITH AN
AFFIRMATION EVERY MONTH AND ASK THE YOUNG WOMEN IF THEY
WOULD RECITE THAT AFFIRMATION DETAIL AY AT HOME.
>> WHAT IS IT?
>> I AM ENOUGH, AND IT'S ALL THESE SENTENCES ABOUT WHY YOU
ARE ENOUGH.
JUST YOUR VERY BEING, HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE.
HOW THE GIFTS THAT THEY HAVE, THE BRILLIANCE THAT THEY
CARRY, HOW THEIR CULTURE AND THEIR RICH HERITAGE IMPACTS
THEIR BEING AND THAT THEY'RE ENOUGH WITH ALL OF THAT.
I TELL YOU LADIES THIS CONSTANTLY, YOU'RE BRILLIANT,
YOU'RE GORGEOUS, YOU HAVE ALL THESE INCREDIBLE CAREERS AND
FUTURES IN FRONT OF YOU.
YOU REALLY ARE ENOUGH RIGHT NOW, YOU REALLY ARE ENOUGH.
>> WE DO SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS, WE DO LOCAL PROJECTS
EVERY OTHER YEAR, WE TRAVEL TO SOUTH AFRICA, AND THERE THE
YOUNG WOMEN ENGAGE IN PARTICULAR PROGRAMS AND
TASKS.
FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS WE HAVE GONE ORPHANAGES AND DEVELOPED
SOME RELATIONSHIPS, THE LEARNING AND THE UNDERSTANDING
OF WHO THEY ARE IN THE WORLD AND THAT THEY'RE GLOBAL WOMEN,
IT ALSO IMPACTS THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND THEIR
SELF-ESTEEM.
>> I WANT TO GO BACK TO YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT PHRASE, I
AM ENOUGH.
YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE ALL COULD
LEARN FROM CERTAINLY, BUT YOU WOULD HOPE THAT THEY WOULD
KNOW THAT, THAT THEY WOULD KNOW THEY'RE ENOUGH AND
THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL AND VALUED AND THEY MATTER,
UNFORTUNATELY, WE KNOW SOCIETY, YOU GET LOST AND YOU
OFTEN FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T MEASURE UP.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
ALSO BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THE PERCENTAGE
OF PEOPLE OF COLOR, PARTICULARLY PROFESSIONALS, IS
AT A MUCH LOWER PERCENTAGE THAN WHITE, SO THE RESEARCH
TELLS US THAT WE NEED MIRRORS, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE
OURSELVES.
SO OFTEN OUR YOUNG WOMEN, WHEN THEY ATTEND SCHOOL, THEY DON'T
SEE EDUCATORS OF COLOR.
WHEN THEY'RE IN THE COMMUNITY DEALING WITH WHATEVER -- THEY
DON'T SEE WOMEN OF COLOR.
SO THIS PROGRAM IS ALSO -- HELPS THEM TO PROVIDE THAT
MIRKER TO SAY, SEE, LOOK AT ME, I'M A WOMAN OF COLOR AND
I'VE HAD THIS INCREDIBLE CAREER.
GUESS WHAT?
YOU CAN DO LIKEWISE BECAUSE YOU ARE ENOUGH.
>> WHAT ABOUT FOR YOUNG GIRLS WHO COME IN HERE, PERHAPS
THEY'VE EXPERIENCED STRONG -- THEY'VE HAD THEIR SPIRIT
CRUSHED BY WHATEVER MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IN THEIR YOUNG LIVES,
HOW DO YOU REBUILD THAT AND HOW DO YOU GAIN TRUST?
I HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT HAS TO BE A LOT OF IT.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MENTORS COMING IN, THEY MIGHT
LOOK VERY SKEPTICAL AND SAY I DON'T BELIEVE YOU, I DON'T
BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TO ME.
>> DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF
WHAT WE DO AS MENTORS.
WE DON'T PUSH OURSELVES ON THE YOUNG WOMEN.
WE ALLOW THEM TO MAKE THE CHOICE, THIS IS THE MENU OF
INCREDIBLE WOMEN THAT ARE BEFORE YOU.
OFTEN WHEN THE MENTORS PRESENT THEMSELVES, THEIR CAREER,
THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCES, THERE IS A YOUNG WOMAN OR TWO THAT
CAN RELATE TO THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND THERE'S THAT INSTANT CONNECTION.
THEN THEY BEGIN THEIR RELATIONSHIP.
SO THERE'S THAT MONTHLY MEETING, BUT THE MENTORING IS
BEYOND THE MEETINGS.
THE MENTOR AND THEMENTIES DECIDE HOW THEY WANT TO
CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER.
COULD BE TEXTING SOMETIMES, YOU COULD BE GOING OUT FOR ICE
CREAM, COULD BE GOING TO A SHOW.
IT'S AN ARRAY AND SOMETIMES IT'S JUST RESPONDING WHEN
THEY'RE HAVING A HARD DAY OF SCHOOL OR THERE'S A FAMILY
SITUATION AND THEY NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO.
>> WHY WAS THIS SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO START THIS NINE
YEARS AGO?
>> WELL, BESIDES RECOGNIZING WHAT I SAW IN THE PERFORMANCE
ARTS GROUP, IF IT WASN'T FOR MENTORS IN MY LIFE, I KNOW I
WOULD NOT BE SITTING HERE TODAY AND WOULD NOT HAVE
EXPERIENCED THE THINGS THAT I HAVE IN MY LIFE, WOULD NOT
HAVE HAD THE SUCCESSES.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF
MENTORING.
SO IT'S MY WAY OF GIVING BACK, AND IT'S MY WAY OF
UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT'S PART OF MY PURPOSE ON THIS PLANET.