The room was filled with Black and Hispanic girls. Looking around there were no tables with a single person sitting alone. This must be on purpose; another forced bonding activity, I thought.
After listening to the sounds of chips crunching, I quickly realized I was late to an event that was noted to start at noon but began earlier since I arrived after they just finished lunch.
The first speaker introduced a current Brookdale student who shared that she attends Brookdale and “likes it.”
Shatiera Portee organized the event Affirming Black Women and Their Well-Being on Feb. 29 in the SLC. The students filling the Navesink room were from Asbury Park High, Red Bank Regional High, and a high school from North Jersey.
Portee has travelled all over the world to learn and teach about embracing ourselves and encourage Black girls that their dreams and goals matter.
During the event we looked for someone new to meet with and introduced ourselves to them. I met a girl from Asbury High School who’s a cheerleader and inquired if Brookdale has a cheer team. Her smile was so bright as she waited for a response. I told her, “Yes, they do, and they’re really good!” I hope she thinks about attending Brookdale. She exhibited bravery coming up to me while I was looking around for a partner and that was the best part of the event.