Page 47 - FOP Magazine March 2019

Members Only Section
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‘Polished Divas’ program in 003 brings mentorship to young women
■ BY ERIKA WURST
Girl power has become key in the 3rd District, thanks to a new mentoring program created by CAPS Officer Ebony Braithwaite. Tired of seeing so many programs focused on empowering only young men, Braithwaite decided it was time to flip the script. In December, she kicked off “Polished Divas,” a program that invites girls in seventh through 12th grades to take steps
toward a better future and give back to the community.
“I do see a lot of programs geared toward young men, so I wanted to start something here at home, in the 3rd District,
that’s focused on our young ladies,” Braithwaite said.
The small group meets the second and fourth Saturdays of each month for three hours at the district’s headquarters. About 10 girls, mostly seventh and eighth graders, spend the afternoon with “Miss B” in an effort to better themselves and the district
they live in.
“When I’m with them, I’m not a police officer, I’m ‘Miss B,’”
Braithwaite said proudly. “I try to let it be known that I don’t want them to just look at me like that police officer who they can’t talk to. With me, it’s an open-door policy.”
The girls voice their concerns about their families, problems at school, social lives and peer pressure. They also take time to put those stresses behind them and look toward the future.
December was spent making holiday cards for their local of- ficers. In January, the girls made vision boards to express their hopes, desires and dreams. In February, they celebrated Black History Month by presenting gifts to influential black women in their community. April will bring college visits.
“They love it,” Braithwaite said of the girls’ response to the program, adding that when the group meets, girls often plead to stay long after the ending time.
While she hopes to see the group grow, Braithwaite is happy with the turnout. The seventh and eighth grade participants are at an influential age when intervention is a high priority.
“It’s a good age to get these girls wanting to do something positive,” she said. “Being out on patrol, I see so many young ladies headed in the wrong direction. I want to steer them back to their futures and wanting something more for themselves. I want them to take education seriously and understand the im- portance of giving back.”
Braithwaite, who was born and raised in Chicago, has been on the force for two and a half years.
“I was raised in Chicago and given a lot of opportunities,” she said. “I just want to see that for our generation now, too.”
As policing continues to veer in a new direction, and commu- nity connection and interaction become paramount to driving
social change, it is programs like Braithwaite’s that create step- ping stones to solutions. This is especially true when it comes to the lack of mentorship programs for at-risk young women.
“I don’t know how it can be fixed, but hopefully I’m a part of changing that,” Braithwaite said. “I had the full support from my supervisors [to create the Polished Divas Program], and every- one was excited that we were doing this for the young ladies.”
Braithwaite’s advice for any officer looking to create a mento- ring program in their own district? Just do it.
“Sometimes you may get discouraged that the turnout may not be what you want it to be, but if you can touch just one per- son, that’s the ultimate goal,” she explained.
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2019 47