DJ Beverly Bond to Headline Women of Color High School Event

Founder of Black Girls Rock! will keynote annual conference

Young girls have an ongoing search for who they are and where they belong. High school is an especially challenging time for girls, asking the age-old question – where do I fit in?

One goal of the UMKC Women of Color Leadership Conference is to help young women of color find answers to that question – and others. Since 2006, the conference’s High School Connection Day has been a vehicle to nurture and develop high school girls of color through ensuring their access to higher education.

This year’s event is scheduled for Friday March 28. The featured speaker will be Beverly Bond, founder and CEO of Black Girls Rock! Bond is a celebrated DJ – known for her passion and ability to read the crowd – as well as a producer and social innovator. She is a businesswoman, mentor, philanthropist and community leader, as well as a former Wilhelmina model.

At the High School Connection Day event at UMKC, Ms. Bond will present a DJ Workshop beginning at 9:30 a.m. and serve as the luncheon keynote speaker at 12 noon. The annual event brings more than 200 girls to UMKC for breakfast, breakout sessions, lunch and a dynamic lunch-time speaker.

Founded in 2006, Black Girls Rock! works to strengthen self-esteem and self-worth through empowerment and mentoring women and girls in the arts. Ms. Bond also encourages dialogue and analysis of the ways in which women of color are portrayed in the media.

The non-profit youth organization is dedicated to the healthy development of young women by changing their outlook on life, broadening their horizons and helping them empower themselves.

Ms. Bond also established the annual Black Girls Rock! Awards to “celebrate exceptional women of color who stand as pillars and inspirational role roles in the community.” The Youth Enrichment Programs provide role models through mentorship; they offer weekly Black Girls Rock! Saturday Enrichment Institute for participants in the NY Metro area and the Queens’ Camp for Leadership and Excellence – a two week immersion program for participants from around the world.

 


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