"…in diversity there is beauty and there is strength." —Maya Angelou
Black History Month is an annual observance of the profound achievements of African Americans towards making the promise of equality a fact in the lives of every citizen. Throughout February, Girl Scouts joins the rest of the nation in celebrating the perseverance of the men and women who fought for the justice and equal treatment owed them as U.S. citizens.
In 1912, when our founder, Juliette Gordon Low, declared Girl Scouts "something for the girls of America and all the world," she meant it. And though extreme adversity and oppression would be the rule of law for many years to come, "something for everyone" has been at the heart of Girl Scouting from day one.
Looking back, our first troop for African American girls was formed in 1917, 47 years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, and by the 1950s, GSUSA began a national effort to desegregate all Girl Scout troops. Not long after, in 1956, Martin Luther King Jr. described Girl Scouts as "a force for desegregation."
In more recent times, GSUSA has partnered with historically black colleges and universities, companies, and organizations including Wilberforce University, Clark Atlanta University, Essence magazine, the National Urban League, the United Negro College Fund, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and 100 Black Men of America, Inc., to make Girl Scouts a part of the African American community. These partnerships have made our Movement richer with the addition of a multitude of new volunteers and scores of new Girl Scouts.
Today, close to 300,000 African American girls embrace the values and promise of Girl Scouting, enhancing the beauty and strength of our organization along the way.
Read more HERE.
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