Honors Four Outstanding Leaders
Sister to Sister International marked its 25th anniversary with a gala event at which it honored four trailblazing individuals for their support to the Westchester community. STSI Founder Cheryl Brannan presented awards to Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins; Shawyn Patterson Howard, president and CEO of the Yonkers Family YMCA; Pamela Bratton, JD, STSI former board member; and State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. News12’s Michelle Brown was mistress of ceremonies for the event.
Sister to Sister International highlighted its accomplishments, including the recent completion of a research study documenting the significant disadvantages black girls and women in Westchester face in key educational opportunities, school discipline and the juvenile justice system, certain areas of health, and income-generating opportunities. The rare bright spot revealed in the study – that black women are opening businesses at far higher rates than their peers – validates a key STSI focus area: promotion of entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
Major gains also have been achieved in other STSI focus areas of health and wellness, education and global affairs. For 10 years, it has successfully run a science, technology, engineering, arts and math camp for black girls and others of color, a cutting-edge program producing a pipeline of students from middle to high school, college and on to careers. The camp has since evolved into a year-round STEAM Academy with tutoring, field trips and academic enrichment.
STSI also recently held a summit that included training and strategy development related to its premier project, the Black Women Girl Child initiative, which advances education, health and wealth of black females by working in a collective impact framework with community stakeholders.
The nonprofit has conducted several forums, including last April’s Girl Power Forum for participants throughout the lower Hudson Valley that offered leadership training and education on the prevalence of suspensions for black girls, “adultification” bias and strategies to recognize and overcome these barriers. Also, healthy lifestyle strategies and mentoring opportunities were shared.
In its quarter-century of existence, STSI, which started as a Brannan family initiative to adopt villages in Africa and deliver medical supplies to Senegal and Gambia, attained special consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, collaborated with the World Health Organization on health campaigns, created a literacy campaign and book collection for the Gambian National Library, as well as a scholarship program for Ghanaian students.
Cousins and Jenkins were among those who applauded STSI for its remarkable accomplishments in improving the lives of scores of black women and girls not only in Westchester, but also in other parts of the world.
Brannan said the achievements were gained against the odds and that far too many black women and girls remain challenged. “There is much more to be done and we look forward to continuing our collective efforts to make Westchester a better place for all with equal opportunity to live and thrive,” she said.
Sister to Sister International, Inc., 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 promotion of African culture. Primary areas of focus include health and wellness, education and global affairs, and developing healthy lifestyles – a cornerstone of the organization.
For more information, visit https://s2si.org.
