DECEMBER 2011

Meet the Staff

Vice President

Saliha Nelson

Northwestern

University

Graduate, BS

Programs

Manager

Shedia Nelson

Hawai`i Pacific University

Graduate, BA Mentor

Carla Stitt

Tennessee State

University

Graduate, BS

Inside this issue:

Upcoming Events 2

News stories 3

Snaps 4

Advice Column 5

Calendar 6

Urgent, In

c.’s m

ission

is to em

power young

min

ds to help

trans-

form

comm

unities.

Reproductive Justice

Initiative Conceptual Photog-

raphy Exhibit Includes “She Kept Her Bra On”

play excerpt performance

When: Friday, Dec. 2nd for Art Basel in collaboration with

Transformer Art Installation Community Fundraiser

& When: Thursday, Dec. 8th

at O Cinema

More details on pg. 2

UPCOMING EVENTS

What: Museum of Contemporary Art

Women on the Rise

When: Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Time: 3-5pm

Where: Booker T. Washington Senior high school

Activity: Celebration of contemporary women artist with historical reference and visual art project incorporating conven-tional and unconventional media like pho-tography and experimental multi-media collages. ART PROJECTS

Photo Courtesy: Alx

RITES OF PASSAGE

Urgent, Inc. 1600 NW 3rd Ave.,

Blg D Miami, FL 33136 (O) 305.576.3084 (C) 305.586.6694 (F) 866-811-7778

www.urgentinc.org Email: Shedia@urgentinc.org

When: Saturday, December 17, 2011

Hands 2 Help, Inc. Holiday Cheers Event

Time: 12:00noon

Where: American Legion Park

6447 NE 7th Ave.

Earn community service hours

Food, entertainment

and gifts!

PAGE 2 RITES OF PASSAGE

This initiative is a youth-led project for social change that is

geared to build aware-ness, educate their

peers and advocate for policy changes that

will help prevent Teen Dating Violence. “She

Kept Her Bra On: Girls Stories of Em-

powerment, Self-Discovery and Ac-

ceptance” is a power-ful youth led original play about young la-

dies affirming ac-ceptance of their body image, reproductive health rights, teen pregnancy and providing awareness of

teen dating violence. Excerpts of the play will be performed.

A must see play!

JANUARY 27-29th

What: Camping with Sierra Club Miami

Inner City Outings

FEBRUARY

Bra Fitting at

Macy’s Aventura

Get a FREE BRA!

MARCH

Etiquette Lunch

APRIL

Career Tour

MAY

When: Saturday, May 12th

“She Kept Her Bra On! Girls Stories of

Empowerment, Self Discovery and Acceptance”

NEW Play Sequel production

When: Saturday, May 26th

GRADUATION CEREMONY BANQUET

A Reproductive Justice Initiative: SHE KEPT HER BRA ON! - THE CAMPAIGN FOR GIRLS WELL-BEING

A Youth-Led Project for Social Change to prevent Teen Dating Violence

She Kept Her

Bra On!

Youth Led Campaign Girls Well-being

Rites of Passage young la-dies’ conceptual photog-raphy will be exhibited

Thursday, December 8th with youth led discussions

on teen dating violence from their perspective on their photos and research

findings.

Come “See it Our Way” photo voice exhibit and

see excerpts of the youth led original play, She Kept Her Bra On: Girls Stories

of Empowerment, Self-Discovery and Acceptance.

Thursday, December 8th

Time: 3-5pm

Refreshments

Location: O Cinema 90 NW 29th St.

Miami, FL 33127

“She Kept Her Bra On” play

A Collaboration with Transformer Community Fundraising for Art Basel

When: Friday, December 2, 2011 Time: 7pm-7:30pm Where: Collins Park

Directly across Bass Museum 201 21 St. Miami, Beach 33139

PAGE 3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

safely. The baby can not be turned off.

Participants will: Have a realistic experience

in caring for an infant in a safe environment with

meaningful evaluation and feedback.

Increase awareness of the time commitment and con-

stant, caring attention a ba-by needs, and the im-

portance of having these skills before bringing a baby

into the world. Build character, teach re-

sponsibility, and encourage healthy babies, healthy fami-lies, and as a result, healthy

communities.

Some young ladies from Rites of Pas-sage will have an opportunity to learn how to provide care for a simulated baby during Winter break. While some kids will be relaxing during their winter break, these girls have chose long sleep-less nights to tend to their simulated baby’s needs for 4 days, keep a record of all feedings, diaper changes and soothe baby at all times without any assistance from an adult or anyone else. They will provide full time care and must take their baby everywhere they go

Real Care Baby Simulation Experiential Learning during Winter Break

Downtown Miami— Fourteen young ladies from Rites of Passage Girls Club attended the

Miami Dade College Book Fair In-ternational. For many of them it was their first time ever attending the book fair who enjoyed listening to interna-tional extraordinary talented musicians Black Violin which is a fusion of where Hip Hop meets classical. Many of the young ladies jammed and danced in

their seats to their favorite Hip Hop songs performed by Black Violin. Mar-guerite enjoyed “their exquisite expres-sion of Hip Hop music we listen to mixed with classical.” Kervelene Saintvil was happy to see “the characters walking around who we grew up with and took pictures with.”

Downtown Mi-ami— Five young ladies including peer educator Tanisha

Fleming and a grandparent, Elsie Hub-bard from Urgent, Inc.’s Intergenera-tional Project. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performances from the New World School of the Arts high school students choreographed by Peter London and college students from Uni-versity of Florida. Elsie Hubbard appre-ciated the UF students who “danced from their heart and soul and you could feel the emotion and energy through their performance.”

Fieldtrip Reviews

Dear Blue Rain, How can you go out with a guy who has HIV? Sincerely, Curious

Dear Curious, The person could reveal their status to their partner after building trust in a relationship when that person’s status wouldn’t impact about how they feel about each other. The cou-ple could go learn how to have a healthy relation-

ship and how to be sup-portive of the person with HIV.

HIV facts: In 2009, black women ac-counted for 30% of the es-timated new HIV infections among all blacks In 2009, black men ac-counted for 70% of the es-timated new HIV infections among all blacks. 81% of persons aged 15–24 70% of persons aged 13–14 In 2009, the rate of new HIV infections among black women was 15 times that

of white women, and over 3 times the rate among Hispanic/Latina women according to the census bu-reau. Sincerely, Blue Rain

Dear Blue Rain...

PAGE 4 RITES OF PASSAGE

Snaps! Poetic Expressions It means Step into my Life My shoes to see now me and

my relationship with my boy-friend is. The ups and downs. All the quality time we share and how every thing is going

Peaceful Loving Loyal

Respect Freedom Caring

Understanding Faithful

By Zakilra Parker

Treat Me This Way My Poem My Love My love My heart

Treat me with kindness And you’ll be my cuteness

So treat me with love, honesty, trust so we can be together

The brightness as the sun and beautiful as a flower

Be my love and my heart Treat me this way

By Alecia Denny

My Manual If you’re with me

You got to be all of what I look at love

If you gon be with me you have to:

Respect me for who I am and don’t try to

change me Love me 24/7 for the

rest of my life Treat me with kind-ness and not with

disrespect

If you can’t get with me you can just bounce

If you gon be stuck on me then love me

This is me so take it or leave it Decorate my love with nuthin but kindness, friendliness and

love

By Chantel Brianne Darrisaw

A Ticking Heart in Time

This is my heart ticking in time The way you make me feel How you make me laugh

And smile the way I can trust you and not complain

The love I feel when I’m around you how you respect me

and call me baby girl around your homeboys

because you don’t care what they think or how they feel

Romantic you are It’s hard not to explain

This is my heart ticking in time and I won’t complain

By Ashley Hill

My Manual

What I want Won’t Tolerate Smart Being yelled at

Supporter Called names Queen Lies Appreciative Disrespect Violent Free Cheating By Daphney Timothee

What it Means to me to step into my own beat

It means you’re a friend Best friend, boyfriend or family

Who understands me To consider my feelings and my

presence Even if I don’t have feelings

But my emotions in the mood I’m in

In a relationship, it does not matter the color of your skin,

religion and wealth. It matters in a relationship

Your love, your protection, care, and loyalty because that’s all

that matters in my beat By Anonymous

Loyalty Joy Love Freedom Peace Trust By Tatyana Wimberly

Me I am great I am me

I’m unique I’m beautiful I’m a person

I am more than I expected I am strong

I am watched over I am loved

<3 By Anonymous

PAGE 5 RITES OF PASSAGE

PAGE 6 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

MOCA: Women on the Rise Art Pro-

World Dance Celebration

at New World School of

the Arts

Miami Dade Book

Fair International

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens World Dance Celebration

at New World School of

the Arts

Barry University

Campus Tour

5

Where: B. T. Washington, Sr. (BTW)

1200 NW 6th Ave. Miami, FL 33136

When: Monday—Thursday

Time: 2:30-5:00pm Room: 308

Work America, Inc.

430 NW 9th St. Miami, FL 33136

When: Mondays Time: 6:30-8pm

Rites of Passage Girls Clubs!

For Who: Girls ages10-18

Closed: Holiday and Spring Break, Teacher Planning, Early Release Days and inclement weather

*For more information:

Call (305) 576-3084 or

(305) 586-6694

Where: Edison Eduplex High School

6161 NW 5th Ct. Miami, Fl 33127

When: Wednesdays and Thursdays

Time: 3–5pm Rm: A-121

Rites of Passage Academy Girls Club Meetings

THANK YOU COMMUNITY PARTNERS Hands 2 Help, Inc.: Pas-sage to Womanhood 2nd year partnership

Sierra Club Miami Inner City Outings 7 year part-nership

Dade County Bar Asso-ciation Horizons Com-mittee, 6 year partner-ship

Mi-Lola—Miami Interna-tional Latinas Organizing Leadership and Advoca-cy, 3rd year partnership

IT Women—Information Technology,

3rd year partnership

Museum of Contempo-rary Art (MOCA): Women On The Rise

Booker T. Washington SHS, 7 year partnership

9 year partnership

Thank you for re-funding

Rites of Passage for

2011-2012

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.

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