The Athletes’ Atelier is a future-focused counterspace for marginalized student-athletes that uses hands-on learning and mentorship to build skills in cooperation and achievement.
I am thankful to have an opportunity to speak with you. The best way to introduce myself is to recognize where I am today and trace the steps I took to arrive at this place. I want to tell you that the creation of Bridges Lane, The Athletes’ Atelier, was a recent response to a need today, but I realize the seed was planted way back when I began running track at the age of 5 and grew deep roots over the next twenty years while I competed at the highest levels.
Black female-identifying students made up only 2.22% (19,623) of Colorado Students in grades PK-12 during the 22-23 school year (CDE Pupil Membership Data, 2023). With numbers like this, I believe it is critical to create significant opportunities for BIPOC students to connect and be reminded of belonging with peers so that they can make sense of their experiences inside and outside of this space.
Adolescence is a complicated stage of development for all youth between the ages of 12 and 20. This is particularly for girls of color. Phinney (1992) states that adolescents from ethnic groups who do not view themselves as part of the mainstream social organization will begin to form personal perceptions about themselves based on generalized ideas about ethnicity and race rather than their own individual capabilities. The research in this paper seeks to understand how mentors can help adolescent girls of color develop more individualized personal perceptions about themselves that lead to greater ethnic identify, self-esteem, and self- efficacy.
What do you believe is the relationship between Cardi B, Beyoncé, and Black Adolescent Girlhood? Dr. Ashley Payne (@Dr_Ash_Bash), an Assistant Psychology Professor at Missouri State University, centers Hip Hop to provide an answer that captures the complexities of race, class, culture, and identity. Consider Payne's (2020) concept of the Cardi-B – Beyonce Complex. This theme informs the need for a transformative, ratchet educational space for Black girls where the multiplicity of the Black girlhood experience will be appreciated and not silenced.
