SUPER GIRLS & THE POWER OF PINK
Pink somehow became a “girl’s color.” Soft, delicate, innocent, sweet.... Pink was never serious. It was Barbie and Little Mermaid. It was ribbons and cotton candy. It was sugar and spice and everything nice. But then, some strong, determined, smart girls, members of the Lower East Side Girls Club, found The Power of Pink.
The Lower Eastside Girls Club (LESGC) is a community-based not-for-profit that works to improve the lives of low-income girls who live in one of the most densely populated, and most ethnically and economically diverse urban neighborhoods in the US, the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Almost 40% of the residents live below the poverty line.
While there is a general lack of services in poor communities, girls tend to get the shortest end of the stick. The Power of Pink journey began to take shape when LESGC was founded, 22 years ago, when a diverse group of Lower East Side women -- mothers, artists, educators, scientists, athletes, businesswomen and community activists organized to address this inequity. Their mission: to break the cycle of local poverty by training the next generation of girls as ethical, entrepreneurial and environmental leaders.
One of LESGC’s first innovative programs is its annual Gowns For Girls prom dress giveaway. Each year, LESGC receives donations of hundreds of brand new, high-end gowns that the girls can wear to their proms, allowing them to save money for more pressing needs, like college tuition. There are always gowns that are leftover and, interestingly, they are mostly pink ones.
In 2017, LESGC endeavored to make art out of the leftover dresses with a photo project called, “The Power of Pink.” A group of girls donned the dresses and hit the neighborhood streets, while other girls took their photographs. It was a study in contrast -- girls in fancy pink gowns juxtaposed with rough urban landscapes.
The images are strong and beautiful. They sparked new conversations about historic gender inequalities and the politics of poverty. And they not only inspired the LESGC community, but several other nonprofit organizations for girls -- Club Balam (Chiapas, Mexico), A VOICE Art Vision & Outreach (Pablo, Montana), and Las Fotos Project (Los Angeles, CA) -- were moved to join in the project.
As it grew, The Power of Pink became very powerful indeed -- pink became the a color of activism.
Photographs from The Power of Pink have been exhibited at Art on Paper, a prestigious New York-based art fair.
LESGC brings art, fashion and activism together in other programs as well. In January (2018), the girls created collages with designer Mara Hoffman to celebrate Art Action Day. They participated in Rebecca Minkoff’s spring/summer 2016 show during New York Fashion Week. And they painted a beautiful mural for Refinery29 with artist Hisham Akira Bharoocha.
These super girls grow into super women, with promising futures, thanks, in large part, to the much-needed mentoring, academic support, and programs offered by LESGC -- all at no cost to girls and their families.
It is a new model of a community agency, creating a culture that values creativity and experimentation, while putting girls and women at the center of community development and revitalization.
With the “whole” girl in mind, LESGC offers a comprehensive mix of youth services through partnerships with other non-profit organizations that share a similar mission, along with local businesses, academic institutions, faith-based communities, and with the girls’ families.
In addition to the arts and design programs, LESGC offers programs focused on science, business, wellness, and social impact. They help with entrepreneurial and job training, as well as with community economic development initiatives.
Check out La Tiendita, their fair trade girl-made gift shop at the historic Essex Market, located at 120 Essex Street. Sales from La Tiendita support LESGC and their partner Girls Clubs in Chiapas, Nepal, Glasgow, and Sierra Leone.
And treat yourself at the LESGC Sweet Things Bake Shop, which trains girls and young women in the basics of baking and business. Email them to order cookies or baked goods for your next event.
And finally, please donate to the Lower East Side Girls Club. They are "Raising the next generation of environmental, entrepreneurial, and ethical leaders!" Help more super girls become super women who can help change the world.
Read more about Super Girls all this week on BeautifulNow. See Super Girls Empowered by Oceans, Beautiful Time Travel Portraits of Girls, and Super Girls Become Super Women. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.
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All Images are Courtesy of The Lower Eastside Girls Club / Girls Club Worldwide.
