

TRUE Skool teen Jaylen “DJaylen” Perez sets the mood with her music selections at the opening of the exhibit “Well-Behaved Women: Journeys to Fearlessness.” (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
The heart of this story, women mentoring younger women, really lifts my spirits. As the oldest of three sisters, third of six female cousins and mother of an only daughter, women’s issues matter to me. The “Be Girl Project” not only provides teen girls with essential information, critical thinking skills, role models and a safe space to grapple with the challenges they face, it does so in the context of urban arts that are meaningful to them. I must give credit to TRUE Skool’s male teaching artists, as well.
I am privileged to report on many hard-working, creative and passionate people working to better the lives of city youth and adults. This year, the work of TRUE Skool, the Reproductive Justice Coalition, and FROM HERE TO HER Artist Collective on the “BE Girl” project stood out as especially inspiring.
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