As we contemplate a year marked by an alarming spike in anti-Asian hate crimes in cities across the country, we are heartbroken and outraged over the senseless deaths of eight innocent people in Atlanta, six of whom were Asian women; for the Filipina woman beaten in front of security guards who turned their backs; for the countless other times when Asians have been spit upon, yelled at, and told to “go back to your country.” We stand in love and solidarity with our Asian family. Their horror, their grief, and their outrage are ours.
At Cinnamongirl, we believe that as people of color, we can only rise up if we rise as one. We must look beyond our differences, educate ourselves, and speak up for each other. In that spirit, we offer you a few resources that we hope will give you some new perspectives and a path toward action. Please share widely to educate your own circles.
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“Working class Asians . . . are suffering from record job losses and staggering economic hardship. They work in restaurants, salons, hotels, laundries, delivery, health care, housekeeping, construction and factories. These low-wage industries are hit hard by the pandemic.”
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“The perpetrators in these cases were Black, [but] many [Asian-Americans] felt deeply uncomfortable with contributing to the criminalization of African-Americans . . . Asian-Americans have long been used by mainstream white culture to shame and drive a wedge against other minority groups.”
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“By not studying how racism impairs Asia-American lives, we underestimate and miss crucial intelligence on how white privilege sabotages the hopes and dreams of people of color . . . Morality and wisdom dictate that we no longer discount the pain of our Asian-American brothers and sisters.”
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In This Month’s Newsletter
We have so many great resources for you this month. To help fight anti-Asian racism, read the articles above that examine non-white violence against Asians and debunk the model minority stereotype. If you have a child of color in high school, or if you know one, register below for our free event, Kids to College: What Parents Need to Know. Check out April’s gift for our Dream Big donors and see which literary stars our Write Your Story Cinnamongirls will interview at the Bay Area Book Festival in early May! We’re still looking for talented folks to join our board; be inspired by writing coach and author Adolpha Cole and get book recs from our incredible Alondra Casey, the leader of the Passport Book Club. Finally, check out these 5 shows on Netflix with diverse teen casts for your family to watch together.
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REGISTER NOW: Sunday, April 25
Kids to College:
What Parents Need to Know
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After years of working with STEM students at an elite private school and years more working with applicants to the honors program at Virginia Tech University, Dr. Joanie Banks-Hunt sees a clear gap between white college applicants and college applicants of color—not in talent, intellect, test scores, or potential, but in their understanding of how to navigate the admissions process and how to showcase their strengths. Join us for our FREE three-part speaker series, Kids to College, for compelling, crucial talks for families of kids preparing for college.
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Part 1: What Parents Need to Know
Sunday, April 25, 1-3 PM PDT Dr. Joanie will launch our series with an informative talk with parents of kids of color about how best to prepare our students for the college admissions process. Ideal for parents of kids aged 14+.
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Part 2: How Girls Can Lead in Competitive High Schools
Sunday, May 2 Cinnamongirl Program Director and alumna Ta Lynn Mitchell will lead an alumnae panel discussion on handling classroom bias, taking on leadership roles, and managing friendships.
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Part 3: Writing The College Admissions Essay
May 9, 16, and 23 A series of workshops just for girls of color. UC Berkeley English Professor Anne F Walker will work with twelve girls to brainstorm and draft stories that will anchor college essays that are unique, memorable and compelling. Grades 11 and 12 only, please.
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Dream Big Fundraising Campaign |
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Join the Write Your Story Cohort at the
Bay Area Book Festival May 1-9
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We are beyond excited to announce our Write Your Story cohort’s third year in the 2021 Bay Area Book Festival. One of the nation’s premiere literary festivals, this year’s BABF features luminaries like Kazuo Ishiguro, Yaa Gyasi, and Nnedi Okorafor. The Write Your Story Cinnamongirls will be chatting with equally exciting guests at the events below:
Saturday, May 1, 3:30 pm: Chariot Waddell and Jolie Wilson talk about food and memoir-writing with Top Chef superstar Kwame Onwuachi in Now We’re Cooking: A Top Chef on Making the Food of Your Dreams.
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Sunday, May 2, 3 pm: Authors Daven McQueen and Shay Bravo garnered over a million reads of their stories on the digital publishing platform Wattpad. Mariah McCoy talks with them about their writing journeys.
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Saturday, May 8, 3:30 pm: The entire Write Your Story Cohort will have a chance to share their writing journeys in I Am the Dream: Voices of a New Generation with award-winning author Misa Sugiura.
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Are You the One We’ve Been Searching For? |
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Cinnamongirl thrives on the strength of passionate, talented, generous volunteers and donors. We are currently searching for partners who can donate time and materials.
Our STEAM cohort needs connections to companies and universities that will support the various modules in STEAM either with donations or talent to teach and mentor our girls.
Our Travel cohort needs connections to companies who can easily donate hair care products, feminine products, and books with lead characters of color.
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Cinnamongirl Author Spotlight: Adolpha Cole |
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A native of Georgia with degrees in broadcast journalism and film and video production, Adolpha Cole is a flexible and multi-talented freelance writer. She has written two books: In Between Time, a quick, highly readable guidebook about surviving the Entertainment Industry until you get your “big break” and Ladybug Lily, a picture book that grew out of her experiences training to be a Reiki master. Adolpha has written stage comedy and a hilarious web series entitled Cynthia and Her Cats, and has worked on the production end of music videos to corporate events.
What do you love about working with the Cinnamongirl WYS cohort?
It has been so interesting to listen to the mindset of these young writers through their stories. I can see the infinite potential in all of the Cinnamongirls. Also, I love how many of the writing coaches share tips and techniques with each other. It feels like one big creative family!
What advice do you have for young women of color who want to work in creative fields?
If you are passionate about what you want to do, do it by any means necessary. No matter how many times your work may be rejected by others, keep going. The people who “get it” will find you. Shut out any noise of what is not possible and go create, for that is truly how the world expands.
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Volunteer Spotlight: Alondra Casey |
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Cinnamongirl is only able to serve our 100+ girls and families because of our amazing, talented volunteers. This month, we’d like to introduce you to Alondra Casey, Montessorian and mother of two. Alondra came to Cinnamongirl last spring looking for a creative way to support tween girls of color, and resurrected the Passport Book Club, a cohort of brilliant book-loving tween girls who read books from around the globe that they themselves have selected that are written by women of color. The book club meetings are led by two older Cinnamongirls and a college liaison, and our youngest Cinnamongirls get to talk about books and big ideas without the pressure of a parent in the room. We asked Alondra to tell us a bit about her own reading and inspirations
What are your own favorite books from childhood/your tween years?
My favorite childhood books are ones that featured people who looked like me. Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats and Corduroy by Don Freeman were my two absolute favorites as a child. I would read them over and over again and never got tired of them. I saw Peter and Lisa in me.
Do you have a favorite book today?
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is one of my all time favorites . . . Recently I read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and couldn't put it down.
What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not reading?
Gardening has been a Godsend to me. I find it so relaxing. Digging in the earth growing something from a tiny seed—it grounds me and connects me to all the generations of my people before me.
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Cinnamongirl Cohort Updates |
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Things are getting real for the Travel Cohort; we’ve bought the plane tickets to Colombia! The girls are getting their travel vaccines and are in the thick of fundraising. Click here to help these amazing girls expand their worlds.
In March, the Passport Book Club read Brown Girl Dreaming, a beautifully written autobiography in verse by former poet laureate Jacqueline Woodson; April’s book will be Michelle Obama’s Becoming. We are so proud of our curious readers!
The Write Your Story cohort is in the process of revising and editing their pieces for their upcoming anthology, I Am the Dream: Voices from a New Generation and are excited to appear at the Bay Area Book Festival in May.
We’re looking for girls of color who are interested in STEAM for our newest STEAM cohort!
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5 Shows and Movies on Netflix with Diverse Teen Casts |
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Never Have I Ever is a coming-of-age comedy-drama series created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher. Based loosely on Kaling’s own experiences, it follows the life of an Indian American teenage girl as she tries to climb the social ladder at high school.
Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love only lasted one season on Netflix, but it should have had more. Teen astrophysicist Ashley Garcia moves in with her uncle Victor to take a job, reconnect with her childhood BFF, and learn how to be a normal teen.
On My Block, set in a Southern California working class neighborhood, OMB addresses serious issues like gangs and sexuality, but balances this with plenty of humor and a primary focus on family and friendship. The series follows the cast from freshman through senior year.
The Babysitters Club will be familiar to anyone who came of age in the 90s. The small-screen reboot features a racially diverse cast and storylines perfect for younger tween viewers.
The Half of It is a heartfelt coming-of-age teen rom-com starring an Asian teen girl who writes other kids’ papers for them. She agrees to woo a girl named Aster via text, email, and snail-mail on behalf of white boy Paul—and realizes that she has feelings for Aster as well.
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We're inspiring girls everywhere to lead, mentor, and be the changemakers in the room. Won't you please consider a gift of any amount. 85% of our funding comes from our amazing supporters. |
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Cinnamongirl Inc.
PO Box 27411, Oakland CA 94602
510.560.4476
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