Profile #1 -
19 year old, African-American female, mother of two, living on Public Assistance.

Profile #2 -
16 year old Hispanic female arrested for prostitution.

Profile #3 -
12 year old African-American female, sentenced to 5 years in the Foster Care system.

The list of profiles and stereotypes are endless, the victimization perpetual. The media sensationalizes the plight of young women of African decent, through their constant images of at risk youth in need of guidance and social programs. But, what about the story of the many sisters who have refused to be victims? When was the last time 6o Minutes or Nightline ran a special on young women of color taking back control of their lives and their communities?

Well, let me inform you of a group of young women of color who are organizing and doing community work in Brooklyn.

Sista II Sista is an organization whose primary focus and dedication is to the overall holistic development of young women of color (12 – 20 years old). More specifically working with young women to strengthen their physical bodies; develop their political intelligence; nurture their emotional and spiritual well being; encourage the expression of their creative selves and develop their strategies in community organizing.

Created as a response to the lack of community spaces that focused on the experience of young women of color, Sista II Sista launched its first program during the summer of 1996. Sista II Sista was housed by several neighborhood organizations in Bushwick/East Williamsburg until 2001,when they obtained there own independent space.

Emphasizing the importance of a community working collectively, Sista II Sista has created an organization where women of color from different generations work together. They’ve created a structure that models their vision of what the greater community should be like. The organizational model developed by Sista II Sista is based on the idea of a flower that has various petals, which are equally important.
• The Freedom School Petal is committed to creating and implementing curriculum focused on the holistic development of young women of color.

Freedom School Program – Aromatherapy/Body Oil Workshop	Sista II Sista’s Freedom School Program - Journal Making Workshop

• The Outreach and Organizational Petal is dedicated to the development and implementation of community organizing strategies and well as recruitment of young women for the organization.
• The Financial Administration Petal is focused on maintaining the economic health of the organization
• The Fundraising Petal’s work is centered on raising funds to sustain the organization.
• The Organizational Development Petal works to ensure efficiency in SIIS’s workspace

SIIS has created an organization that functions as a collective, where young women can be self-detemined.

Sista II Sista, young women transforming their lives and their communities.