FREE SPEECH ZONE | Girls In Action

Teen violence amongst girls is not taken seriously. In my experience, people tend to overlook the arguing between young women; they see it as childish games that will soon blow over.  But, I am here to confirm that it only gets worse when it’s ignored. When this happens, some girls are so mortified and alone that they transform their behavior into violence. That’s when the fighting begins.

Dr. Verna Price started of Girls In Action. A program that saved my life. I was first introduced to the program at my school during the spring of my freshman year. I was out of control, I never listened, and I looked at everyone as a threat out to get me. At the first meeting I cried. My consultant made everyone promise that whatever we talked about stayed amongst us. The trust had to start with us in the room. I opened up more than I ever had in my whole life. Everyone passed around Kleenex as we shared what we feared the most. JuDonna Bennett, my mother, said “I have seen so much change in my daughter over time. She’s really learned who is important in her life and whose is not. Some people are here for a reason and a season, not always a lifetime.”

From then on I knew that I was destined to change and I could feel the same thing coming from all the other girls. The program was so easy to get used to because we were divided among other consultants, met every week with the same group, and felt a sense of relief after every week. I had found a program that I wanted to be a part of forever. JacQueline Frasier, Girls In Action consultant, said ” We are different from most programs because we stay with the same girls all through high school. We follow them off to college and let them know we will always be there for them.”

We learned about self-respect and personal power, noone can take our personal power we could only give it away. Personal power is our ability to think and make our own decisions, whether good or bad. We learned that we could still stand up for what we believe in, without the negative language and the “acting tough.” We could do it with grace and poise. We learned as young women, to respect our bodies more, or as Dr Verna otherwise said “our temples.” We no longer abuse our bodies by showing everyone what we have. “Leave it to the imagination.” Beverly Rashaw, a GIA member, said, ” If Girls In Action never existed I don’t think I would’ve learned the principles of life. How not to let other people bring you down, and to believe that I matter in this world. I wish this program was everywhere.”

Girls In Action is needed everywhere. Women are emotional people and without the right guidance they could end up pregnant or in jail. After joining this program, 98% of Girls In Action will make better life decisions.