From adults to young people, the Holiday season seems to be filled with joyous occasions and celebration. Decorations light up our homes and neighborhoods. Our days are serenaded with carols and holiday themed music. All the more, there is gleeful anticipation for parties and gatherings with friends and loved ones.

Inevitably, capitalism is front and center at this time. This can present pressure to produce and consume that often yields high stress  or depression. 

Not only that, grief of missing loved ones who are absent physically or mentally can impose a thread of sorrow in the collective quilt of community joy. 

Through it all, unjust systems and the economy sustain themselves through the reliance of everyone acting on all of the above. This mixture of capitalistic drive, societal pressures, and human frailty can lead many to overindulge in gluttony or self-destructive forms of comfort. Things we do to mask our pain or to keep inbounds with social norms often perpetuate dysfunction. Ultimately, we lose the connection to what sustains us, and latch on to what makes us feel good.  

Yet real joy is in the substance of life, it is not a moment’s reaction to our condition or material delight. As we hear so often during this season, joy to the world is the high pursuit. Nevertheless, joy to the world is void if more than half of the word lives under oppression and poverty. 

So as we go about our merry way this season, let us remember to keep in practice with real joy. We can look to the African-centered principles found in our cultural and spiritual traditions. Whether we identify with Nguzo Saba (the 7 principles of Kwanzaa) or basic  tenets of the Golden rule, we can BE the joy we seek. 

With grace,
La’Keisha
Executive Director

Read the full GLMPI Newsletter 


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Growing up, one of my biggest dreams was to become an actress. The limited presence of black women on my favorite television shows and movies inspired me. The few times that I did see people that looked like me I clung to those characters, paid very close attention to their roles and appearances. An important part of a black woman's appearance is her hair.
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We recently celebrated women who embody the core values of Girls Like Me Project, Inc and the value of leadership! Join us in thanking each honoree for playing a unique role in providing leadership and inspiration for future women in media and beyond.

We kicked off our celebration of leadership with our very own, India DeJonge! Not only is India a GLMPI member, but a young woman who has displayed true leadership and been present throughout our transition from in-person to virtual programming.

Natalie Moore is relentless in her pursuit and illustration of the truth on race, class, and communities in Chicago. We are excited to welcome her as our guest journalism instructor!
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Moore covers segregation and inequality for WBEZ Chicago. Her enterprise reporting has tackled race, housing, economic development, food injustice, and violence. Natalie’s work has been broadcast on the BBC, Marketplace and NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. ​

What role should parents play in affirming our girls? If you are in search of new ways to boost your daughter's self-esteem or to simply hear an empowering conversation about the conversations we should start having with our daughters at an early age. Take a moment today to watch to a powerful discussion featuring our founder, La'Keisha Gray-Sewell, Jamila Trimuel, founder of Ladies of Virtue, and Sheri Johnson Crawley, founder of Pretty Brown Girl; a non-profit developed to empower Black and Brown girls while encouraging self-acceptance by cultivating social, emotional and intellectual well-being.

According to the Women's Media Center, an estimated 64,000-75,000 Black women and girls are currently missing in the U.S. Additionally, the National Center For Missing And Exploited Children confirmed this report, adding that Black women comprise around 7% of the entire population and more than 10% of those missing in the entire country.

The Global Headquarters of Female Empowerment Stories and Voices (GIRLTALKHQ) is keeping this startling story alive with their latest feature "Gone Black Girls: Finding the Forgotten, Telling Their Stories." ​