The idea that you need a lot of money, power or influence to make a difference in this world isn’t true in the least bit, but is one of the biggest lies perpetuated in our community. To make a difference, you just need the gumption to think you can and the will to spend your time.

That’s why we love highlighting people who pour their time and talents into our next generation, they demonstrate they understand our future needs us, which is why we want to highlight this dynamic mentor and her organization.

Kelly Fair is from the southside of Chicago and has always dreamed of making a difference in her community. While working and managing a research studies and national marketing program for a book publisher, Fair asked the question that would change the trajectory of her life.

Fair asked her boss, what did they do with the old books and products?

The answer, “They said, ‘We usually burn them.”

[ADSENSE2]Fair was shocked and disgusted by the response. She even tried to get her boss to donate the books and products to the United Way or even local day care centers, but wasn’t getting the support she thought the idea needed.

“I didn’t feel like I would get the support to do that, so I knew it was time to make plans to move on,” she says. “I wanted to have a direct role, impacting young people on the South Side of Chicago, where I’m from. So I left.”

She knew it was time to move on and Polished Pebbles was born.

The mission of the Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program is to provide girls (7-17 years old) with the opportunity of learning the vital life skill of effective communication. Our Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring program instills confidence in girls to face the challenges of daily life by substituting aggressive forms of communicating and problem solving with new strategies that allow them to gain a solid reputation and respect without retaliating. (From their website)

Today, the Polished Pebbles organization serves over 1,000 girls in their 7 to 17 demographic throughout the city of Chicago. They are able to utilize resources such as the Chicago Public Schools and even the Chicago Housing Authority.

The organization has a communication focus at it’s core, but also a career focus as well.

“This is where my speech pathologist hat comes into play. We make sure our young ladies are great communicators in the home and at school,” she says. “Our mantra is S.H.I.N.E.— Smile, (say) Hello, Introduce (yourself), Nod (your head) and End (the conversation). We teach the young ladies to think about how and what they are communicating, their body language, their appearance and how they represent themselves on social media.”

Fair understands there is a lot of work left to do, but isn’t afraid to step up to the challenge and help our young, black girls survive and thrive!

“A lot of attention is on young black boys in urban cities. And rightfully so,” she says. “But people don’t realize our girls are growing up in the same communities, facing the same threats of violence. Research shows black girls are leading the pack in in-school suspension, expulsions, out of school suspensions. We are, quite frankly, dealing with a crisis and I don’t think the general public is aware.”

Source: CCT.org, PolishedPebbles.com