Page 20 The Skanner January 10, 2018
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
New Enrichment Program for Black Girls Transforms Lives
By Candace J. Semien
The Drum/NNPA Mem-
ber
t a time when
many messages for
young girls seem
to be conflicting,
Baton Rouge teens are
experiencing an influx
of organizations and
programs designed to
show them how amazing
and powerful they are
in the world. From Black
Girls Rock on a national
scale to the local Wom-
anhood101 initiative and
the
TransfHERmation
program, the brilliance
of teen girls are being
magnified and strength-
ened.
“I believe girls are a
special gift from God and
they should be nurtured
as such,” said Quintina
Ricks, founder of Trans-
fHERmation, an enrich-
ment program for girls.
For two years, more
than 20 girls have ex-
perienced TransfHER-
mation at T. Simmons
and Company in Baton
Rouge where they devel-
oped businesses, vision
and mission statements,
brand names, and tag-
A
lines to reflect their val-
ue system. These values
were explored during
sessions on gratitude,
respect, public behavior,
and relationships.
The girls created prod-
ucts for their business—
most opting for cosmet-
ics—using raw materials
and scientific principles
to manufacture lipsticks,
lip gloss, soap, and can-
dles. During an interac-
tive, real-world stimula-
tion, they took on adult
responsibilities
and
purchased homes, cars,
insurance, and childcare
services.
As part of their trans-
formation experience,
the girls learned strat-
egies to improve and
maintain healthy diets,
relationships, hygiene,
and finances. “Critical to
their success and quality
of life will be their ability
to make healthy lifestyle
choices relative to man-
aging stress and friend-
ships,” said Ricks. “We
teach young ladies to pri-
oritize their greatest as-
set which is their health.”
TransfHERmation is
Ricks’ brainchild, which
she started in 2014 as an
PHOTO COURTESY OF QUINTANA RICKS
Baton Rouge Businesswoman Designs TransfHERmation program for Young, Black Girls
tion program that
Ricks is able to be
most creative in
reaching the girls.
“When we in-
vest in young peo-
ple, the return on
that investment
is immeasurable.
We build the fe-
male leaders of
the future,” she
said. The Drum
talked with Ricks
to learn more.
THE
DRUM:
How was this
experience
de-
signed to be trans-
formative?
Quintina Ricks:
Quintina Ricks, is the founder of Our goal is to
TransfHERmation, a summer enrichment build the female
program for girls.
leaders of the fu-
ture. There’s no
exhilarating, multi-facet- denying that women are
ed summer program that making huge contribu-
she designed to help girls tions all across the globe
improve their self-aware- in all walks of life. It’s
ness, self-love, and self- also no secret that wom-
worth. Ricks is owner en face unique challeng-
of Ten40 Solutions. She es relative to crushing
said she is an accountant stereotypes and break-
by trade, event designer ing through the prover-
by passion, and youth bial glass ceiling. Our de-
developer by purpose. sire for these girls is that
It is within the structure they embrace their femi-
of her TransfHERma- ninity, understand their
power, harness their
creativity, identify their
strengths, and visualize
their future.
TD: Why was this age
group targeted?
QR: This year’s camp
experience was devel-
oped specifically for
teenage girls. Adoles-
cence is an important
time. These young ladies
are making critical life
decisions that will either
serve a setbacks or set
ups for long term suc-
cess. We want to equip
these young ladies with
the information, tools,
resources, and mentors
to make solid life deci-
sions.
TD: What life lessons
did you want this expe-
rience to teach or be rev-
eled to participants?
QR: Our curriculum is
designed to expose these
young ladies to lessons
that focus on leadership,
introduce the concept of
entrepreneurship, teach
principles of saving/
investing, and also high-
light STEM careers and
women who are thriving
in those fields. Self-es-
teem,
self-love,
and
self-care is emphasized
throughout the camp ex-
perience. We want these
girls to walk away feel-
ing powerful.
TD: How did this year
meet or exceed your ex-
pectations?
QR: This year exceeded
our expectations despite
some internal hurdles
that we had to cross. Typ-
ically when we sponsor
these types of programs,
we plan over 6-8 months.
This year, we pulled the
camp together in less
than a month. Our busi-
nesses were swamped
with new clients, which
is a good thing, but we
didn’t know, if we would
have the time or the ca-
pacity to host the camp
this year. We decided
collectively that we had
to make it a priority and
we were able to pull it off.
It was well attended. We
worked with an amazing
group of girls.
TD: What were the
memorable transforma-
tive moments?
QR: The responses that
we get from the parents
are always telling for
me. When you get an
email celebrating aca-
demic or social growth
that makes all the hard
work and sacrifices well
worth it. We had a di-
verse group of girls in at-
tendance this year. Some
were from upper middle
Mexico cont’d from pg 16
advantaged areas, like the rural south
and the heavily indigenous high moun-
tains.
Since this is the case, they reason,
data that appears to show race-based
inequality in Mexico is actually captur-
ing class, ethnic and regional inequali-
ties.
Although the premise of this argu-
ment holds true, the conclusion is in-
correct.
Our study accounted for gender, age,
region of residence and ethnic origin
– and still skin color emerged as a pow-
erful determinant of wealth and educa-
tion levels.
A second critique of racism in Mex-
ico is that yes, it exists, but it is not as
bad as in other places in the region, like
Brazil or the United States.
Our study runs contrary to that ar-
gument. Among nations surveyed
class households, attend-
ing high performing
schools, taking family va-
cations, etc. Other camp
participants came from
extreme poverty. One
young lady in particular
had not attended school
regularly since the flood.
Her mother was on the
verge of eviction. They
had no water or utilities
in their apartment. For-
tunately the young lady
was comfortable enough
to tell us what was go-
ing on. Our team was
able to get her enrolled
in school, purchase uni-
forms, connect her fam-
ily with job placement
assistance, and recon-
nect their utilities. Were
it not for the camp this
particular kid would’ve
probably dropped out
of school and eventually
been homeless.
TD: How does this pro-
gram fit within your
company’s work or mis-
sion?
QR: Our company is ob-
viously very diversified
in terms of its divisions
and the products and ser-
vices that we offer. The
common theme across
the entire organization
is our commitment to
giving back to the com-
munities that have con-
tributed to our success.
The way we choose to
give back is through
building human capital.
Investing in young peo-
ple feels good from an
individual standpoint,
and it’s smart from a
business standpoint. The
return on investment is
so significant that it’s vir-
tually immeasurable.
For more information
about
TransfHERma-
tion, visit www.transf-
hermation.com or follow
the group on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/
transfhermation.
in the Americas Barometer, Mexico
ranks fourth in terms of the negative
impact of skin-tone on an individual’s
wealth, behind Bolivia, Uruguay and
Ecuador.
On the relationship between race
and lower levels of education, Mexico
moves up one spot to trail only Ecuador
and Trinidad and Tobago.
Indeed, the sole place in the Ameri-
cas where people of color seem to fare
worse overall than in Mexico is Ecua-
dor, where Americas Barometer data
shows that having dark skin reduces
educational achievement by one year
more than it does in Mexico.
This is in stark contrast to countries
like Chile and Costa Rica, where race
appears to have only a minor impact on
wealth and education.
Our analysis unambiguously dis-
prove the notion that Mexico is some-
how so mixed race — so mestizo — as
to be race-blind. Quite to the contrary:
Racism is a severe social challenge.