High school girls from underservedcommunities in the Baltimore metropolitan area find inspiration andencouragement from Girls’ Empowerment Mission, a local volunteer-based organization.
GEM is a three-year collegepreparatory program held twice a month after school and during weekendretreats. The organization’s goal is to help students become independent,self-sufficient and confident young women.
“BeDazzle 2019: Voices of Hope, Stories of Resilience” is GEM’s major annual fund-raising event. It will be held May 8, at 6:30 p.m. at Goucher College 1021 Dulaney Valley Road in Towson.
Jmore recently spokewith the event’s co-chair, Pikesville resident Randee Greenwald.
Jmore: What is “BeDazzle 2019” all about?
GW: This will be an inspirational evening of storytelling. Our speakers are people who have shown a strong sense of resilience and their own history of making the world a better place. Among those featured are Mohammed Al Samawi, Maria Broom and Kondwani Fidel.
Who exactly are these folks?
Mohammed Al Samawi is a peace activist and author. When he was in his early 20s and living in Yemen, he wanted to learn about Jews and Christians. But because he was Muslim, this outreach resulted in death threats. Then, he got trapped between Houthi rebels and Al-Qaeda fighters in his war-torn country. Through the kindness of Jews and Christians he barely knew, he escaped to the United States. He relates his inspiring saga in his book, “The Fox Hunt: A Refugee Coming to America.”
Maria Broom is an actor and dancer. A Baltimore native, she is a former WJZ personality and actress with recurring roles in HBO’s “The Wire” and “The Corner.” Maria is a Fulbright scholar and a faculty member of the Baltimore School for the Arts. Among many other programs, Maria Broom founded the Dance Girls of Baltimore, which mentors inner-city girls, seeking to pass on the values of self-discipline and thoughtful behavior.
Kondwani Fidel is a rapper, writer and poet. Kondwani grew up on the streets of Baltimore City and has taken his experiences to audiences around the world. The author of two books, “Hummingbirds in the Trenches” and “Raw Wounds,” he is also a filmmaker and writer of fiction who confronts education reform, civil rights and many of the problems in an underserved community.
How has GEM impacted disadvantaged girls living in the area?
The best way to answer is to tell you the stories of two GEM girls. Sarah’s single mom never let her or her four siblings know how bad things were, financially. One day, Sarah came home from school to a find a yellow paper, an eviction notice, on their door. With nowhere to go, they ended up in a motel.
She said, “I never told anyone where we wereliving or how I blamed myself for our family not having enough moneybecause I wasn’t working. I felt like no matter what I did, I was onlymaking matters worse. I was trying to learn how to be independent byshutting everyone out and making it seem like I was always doingfine. But my GEM leaders and my mentor made it easier for me to open upabout my home life and grow and learn from all the different things thatwere going on. Also, it was great having time and assistance with applyingto colleges during our GEM meetings. I needed to get out of my house inorder to thrive. GEM helped me apply for scholarships so I was able toattend a four-year college and I graduated from Thiel College inGreenville, Pennsylvania. With the support and influence of thewonderful women in this program, I have learned my true worth.”
Joanna has another important story to tell. When she was 3, her mother was sent to prison and her father died. She was raised by her sister and her aunt, but she often felt lonely and wondered when her mother was coming back. Then, when Joanna was in middle school, her brother died. She became depressed and her grades fell.
She joined GEM andher sister encouraged her to stay in it. “I am so glad I did,” she said. “GEM means an opportunity forlong-term friendships, and a chance to get away from all thenegative things going on your life and at home. GEM opened my eyes toall kinds of new experiences. GEM is a chance for young women in highschool to be a part of a wonderful organization that will help change andreshape their lives for the better. GEM has changed the live and the wayof thinking for many young women, including me!”
How is your sister, Debbi Weinberg, involved with GEM?
Debbie founded GEM in 2004 and has been its chair ever since, always serving as a volunteer. Since then, she has dedicated herself to work with girls from underserved communities who want to make something of themselves.
Before GEM, she worked in the Baltimore County school system, first as a teacher and then as a guidance counselor. Girls who were really struggling would come to her for guidance because of problems at home, parents on drugs or parents incarcerated and being raised by older siblings. Working with these girls in a dropout prevention program inspired Debbi to start GEM.
How will this event appeal to Baltimore’s Jewish community?
GEM has always had a large Jewish donor base. The Jewish community has embraced the program from its inception. Many Jewish women have been volunteers and speakers throughout the years.
For information, visit gemmaryland.org.
Peter Arnold is an Olney, Md.-based freelancewriter.
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