OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Thursday, members of Girls Inc. celebrated their accomplishments at its annual Lunch for the Girls fundraiser.
The girls took to the stage to ensure their voices were being heard and showcase the skills the organization instills in them.
"Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but we’ve all heard the saying 'kids should be seen and not heard' growing up from our parents, grandparents and other members of community. Well, as a kid you hear this saying so often that you start to believe your voice doesn’t matter, your concerns and your issues do not matter because you’re supposed to be heard," Janii Blair, Girls Inc. member said. "Now let me ask you this: how can you truly see me if you can not understand me and can you truly understand me if you can’t hear me?"
While they may have heard this a few times, the girls made sure their voices were heard Thursday. Some of the members spoke about what the organization has taught them and how Girls Inc. has changed their life.
"Girls Inc. has encouraged me to be myself and be confident in what I believe and who I am and what I stand for," one member said.
"I definitely would not be as confident and okay with myself as I am today," Blair said.
This year's event topic was one they've never discussed at their annual luncheon before.
"Even though racism impacts every single outcome we ever measure for girls — including physical and mental health, education, involvement with law enforcement, future earnings, the development of social capital and more — this is the first time the luncheon has directly addressed this topic. I don’t think it will be the last," Executive Director Roberta Wilhelm said.
They tackled the topic this year with help from Omaha natives and authors Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar. Ruffin is known, among other accomplishments, as a late-night talk show host and comedy writer. She and her sister, Lacey authored a book about their experiences with discrimination.
"It was important for us to share our story with the kids at Girls Inc. today because they're about to go through all the things that are in the book 'You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey'. We might as well give them a head start," Ruffin said.
The girls are already experiencing some of the things Lamar and Ruffin share in their book and they described some of the racist encounters they've experienced.
Ruffin and Lamar hope the girls recognize they can navigate the world despite racism and become successful.
"I want them to be able to look at not just me, but Amber and see 'Wow! I can do that. I can be that,' and just being in the same room as her and knowing all the things she accomplished, I want them to be like 'This is attainable. It's going to take work but I can do this,'" Lamar said.
Lamar and Ruffin's second book comes out Nov. 22.
