Young women gain self-esteem with fashion, fitness and funk

Hip-hop aerobics, fashion and friendship all come together at the University each month as part of "Fitness and Fashion with Funk." The program, organized by second-year Social Work graduate student Janice Ferebee, emphasizes good health, self-respect and community support to girls from the Philadelphia area. "The goal of the program is to help build self-esteem and self-confidence in girls and young women," said Ferebee, a graduate fellow at the W.E.B. DuBois College House. "I want to promote the importance and the benefits of physical, mental and spiritual fitness." About 30 girls, ranging in age from 9 to 17, attended this month's event, held in DuBois' multipurpose room Saturday morning. During the program, Ferebee had the girls participate in low-impact rock aerobics and brought in two speakers. Jennifer Titus, a booking agent for Askins Models, spoke about the importance of having self-confidence. "Everyone will perceive you the way you feel on the inside," she said. And discussing the importance of proper dietary habits, Julianna Taylor of the Black Women's Health Project noted that "nutrition for young ladies is very important so that you can grow into healthy adults." When the girls first arrived, they browsed tables displaying information on fitness, fashion and self-esteem and watched a video about black women in sports. Fitness and Fashion with Funk is based on the ideas found in Ferebee's book, Got It Goin' On. She said she feels her program is especially effective in meeting the needs of young women. "There are so many programs out there that don't reach kids because they don't like what is being done and they're boring," she noted. Fashion and Fitness with Funk meets these problems by focusing on "fashion, which is something a lot of [young women] like, and the hip-hop music, which is something they all like," Ferebee said. "Not only is it important to look good on the outside but feel good on the inside," she added. "That is why I put the two together." Pre-adolescent and adolescent girls are especially in need of help, according to Ferebee. "I don't think there are enough programs that support their specific needs," she said. "I think our children are growing up too fast without morals and positive self-images and it reflects on everything they do. This is a time when they need extra special care." April Weaver-Horton, a 14-year-old participant in the program, supported Ferebee's ideas. "I got everything," she said. "You get to meet new people, work out and have fun." Yvonne Marbury, a Philadelphia community member who brought her niece to the program, agreed that the program is a rare resource for children. "There were a lot of things going on in the '60s and '70s to keep kids out of trouble," she said. "Now we get nothing." The next event in the series is a holiday brunch scheduled for December 6. Fitness and Fashion with Funk will culminate with a "Fashion and Funk Lawn Jam" outside DuBois in April. After realizing how much helping young girls has enriched her own life, Ferebee said she would encourage other University students to do the same. "I'm inviting women of all ages to get fit," she said. "[The program] is an excellent opportunity to share experiences with girls from the Pennsylvania community."

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