Sister to Sister Research Reveals State of Black Women & Girls

The Sister to Sister International (STSI) Summit held on October 19 featured the unveiling of ground-breaking research that revealed myriad disparities in educational opportunities, school discipline and the juvenile justice system, certain areas of health and in entrepreneurial opportunities for Black women and girls in Westchester. Convening the summit was Cheryl Brannan, above left, founder of Sister to Sister International. With her, at right, is Avis Jones-DeWeever, PhD, who presented the research report and is an award-winning author, political commentator and race and gender empowerment expert; and Cheryl Hunter-Grant, LMSW, vice president, Children’s Health Research Foundation and executive director of the Lower Hudson Valley Perinatal Network, who received Sister to Sister International’s first, “STILL I Rise Award for Excellence.” She is an inaugural steering committee member of the Black Women Girl-Child collective impact coalition, a role model and subject matter expert on teenage pregnancy prevention and perinatal health. She has supported the efforts of many nonprofit organizations in the region, chaired health coalitions and facilitated various educational events and conferences during her 15-year tenure at the helm of the Perinatal Network. She is also the recipient of the L. Stanley James Award, named in recognition of the founder of the New York State Perinatal Association and NYSPA's highest honor.

The summit agenda included collective impact training, which was used by work groups composed of community stakeholders from civic, nonprofit, educational, faith-based, government and fraternal organizations to begin planning to address the inequities demonstrated by the study findings. The groups focused on major quality of life issues, such as: teen pregnancy prevention, maternal health and healthy lifestyles; entrepreneurship, pay equity and economic prosperity; education-related issues involving suspensions, trauma and the juvenile justice system as well as STEM, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) opportunities. For more information on the study, go to https://s2si.org/.

The Black Women Girl-Child initiative began in 2015, as a result of a partnership with the Obama White House Council on Women and Girls. It is led by a collective impact coalition convened by STSI and includes various community partners who collaborate to improve outcomes for Black women and girls in Westchester.

“We are proud of our accomplishments thus far and plan to stay the course, remain strategic and work together to make a positive, measurable impact on progress for Black women and girls in Westchester,” said Cheryl Brannan, STSI founder and convener. “The research report will help us do that.”

More than 120 stakeholders attended the summit, which was held at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry.

Sister to Sister International, Inc. (STSI) is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that links women, girls and families of African descent globally to the resources that connect, advance and strengthen them, through advocacy, education and the promotion of African culture. Primary areas of focus include health and wellness, education and global affairs. Developing healthy lifestyles is a cornerstone of the organization. STSI sponsors health symposia and campaigns, personal and professional development workshops and seminars; provides student scholarships; global briefings; communications and academic enrichment programs for youth, including its highly acclaimed STEAM (science, technology engineering arts and math camp) now in its 10th year; promotes advocacy and information sharing; dialogue with legislators on key issues affecting women and families; supports UN conferences, networks with women from all over the world, and collaborates with partners to advance our causes, including our Black Women Girl-Child initiative that advances Black women and girls, working with various stakeholders, using collective impact. For more information on STSI, visit https://s2si.org/.