A new and unique report, “Black Girls in New York City; Untold Strength and Resilience,” was released today by the Black Women for Black Girls Giving Circle (BWBG), a funding initiative of The Twenty-First Century Foundation and the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR). The report, commissioned by BWBG from IWPR, pairs analysis of original data collected through written surveys and focus groups with a review of existing literature to provide an in-depth examination into the lives of Black girls living within the city of New York.

"Through our work with Black girls as service providers, funders and technical assistance providers, it became clear to the founders of BWBG that there may be unique social factors impacting our girls," said Stephanie Palmer, executive director at New York City Mission Society. "So we pooled our personal funds and joined forces with other like-minded women and organizations to conduct a study focusing on Black girls in New York City."

The report finds that the impact of poverty is especially acute in the lives of Black girls. Approximately three-quarters of the girls in the study live in low-income communities and households.

"Like all Black children, Black girls are at increased risk of living a life of poverty. But poverty plays out in the lives of Black girls in very distinct ways," remarked report author Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, affiliate scholar of Institute for Women's Policy Research and director of the research at Public Policy and Information Center for African American Women, at the National Council of Negro Women.

"Our surveys and conversations with adolescent Black girls in New York City show that many of the girls are at an increased risk of violence because of the economic situation of their families and economic conditions of their communities," emphasized Dr. Jones-DeWeever. "For far too many of the girls in our study, poverty truncates their childhood experience."

Most survey respondents indicated that they worry about their personal safety. Among those who feel unsafe at home, most attribute their uneasiness to drug activity in their community as well as the prevalence of violent crime, fights, and gang activity. Black girls most often indicated that they felt unsafe due to frequent fights at school.

"Some of the girls in our study have taken on responsibilities beyond their years," added Dr. Barbara Gault, vice president and director of research at Institute for Women's Policy Research. "Many of the girls we surveyed and spoke with work to contribute to their family financially and take care of younger siblings in order to assist their over¬worked parents."

The study also examines issues of self-esteem for Black girls, a group often considered immune to the impacts of mainstream culture on body image and self-confidence. While most of the Black girls in this study seemed largely satisfied with themselves, one-fifth indicated that, if given the opportunity, they would change their bodies in some way. A few expressed keen sensitivity to issues of skin tone. Some were teased harshly for being "too Black." Others even expressed a desire for skin bleaching; and in at least one instance, that ultimate desire was not just to become lighter, but instead, to become white.

"Far too many of the girls in our study carry heavy bur¬dens and hardships," said Erica Williams, study director at the Institute for Women's Policy Research. "The remarkable thing is that in the face of it all, these girls con¬tinue dreaming and working toward their goals. They are doing everything they can to fulfill their dreams and we need to do our part to ensure they get there."

Erica Hunt, president of The Twenty-First Century Foundation that supports Black community change and houses the Black Women for Black Girls Giving Circle, reiterated this message. "This report is a call to action for families, community and religious leaders, service providers, advocates, and policymakers, everyone," said Hunt. "We have to come together and work together to make sure that Black girls do better than just survive. We want them to thrive."

Importantly, the report also explores the positive influences in Black girls' lives. It finds that girls who highly valued spirituality also tended to have an excellent relationship with their primary caretaker. Likewise, those who possessed a strong sense of racial identity were more likely than other girls to be happy on a typical day, to receive better grades, to want a college education and believe in their ability to reach their goals, and when involved in intimate relation¬ships, to engage in self-protective behavior by insisting upon condom usage.

"This study also shows where Black girls in our city find their strength and resilience and where they rejuvenate their spirits," said Kanyere Eaton, executive director of the Sister Fund, a private women's foundation that works at the nexus of faith and social justice, and a founding member of the Black Women for Black Girls Giving Circle. "We need to hone in on these resources and scale them up to make sure that Black girls in our city succeed."

The report concludes with a number of recommendations for policy and practice by a wide range of factors:

* Implement a series of debriefing sessions on the status of Black girls with key community leaders.

* Parents, principals, and teachers need to develop and implement approaches to address the needs of Black girls in educational settings.

* Schools, community groups, and service providers serving Black girls should incorporate information and discussions about violence, safety, and sexual health into their programs and curriculum.

* Reach out to adolescent Black girls about their reproductive health.

* Develop affinity groups for Black girls to pro¬mote a strong sense of racial identity throughout their developmental years.

* Push for the implementation of programming that supports the development of healthy parent-child relationships.

* Develop and expand one-on-one mentorship programs.

* Create faith-based and Black girl organizational alliances.

* Emphasize the need for greater policy action focusing on poverty reduction.

* Open access to higher education for young Black women.