I am a strong independent African American girl whose loyal to her word.
I am round in size but i am fine so when you look at me you see a QUEEN!
I stand at 4"10"
I am small, unique and gentle in my own way but don't mess with me, cause I don't play.
I am Boisterous and quiet when i want to be;
but most of the time I am loud and rowdy cause I love to play.
But when its time for me to buckle down and do my work
I've already got mine done cause that's just the way I work.
But listen that's just me being me and loving me through everything so I know who I am!
I am me Janet Denise Brooks and that my friends is who I will always be!
This is a reminder of how I use to be.
The old me is not the newest me,
I've changed a lot,
Learned a lot of things.
A lot of words for what my name could mean
It could mean originator, motivator, innovator.
I am a girl, inspiration to generations,
I have a voice all around the nation.
I have a sense of humor, to big to understand,
Yep, a reminder to me and to all that women and girls should always stand tall.
We are more than our hips, more than our thighs, we are more of an inspiration
Yeah, we walk with a stride. Others paved the way for us to be us!
Women being celebrated, now you know that's a must!
I've been anticipating this day for the last couple of months. March 2, Eve's Circle celebrates five years of serving girls in Montgomery and surrounding areas. Since our inception, we've serviced over 600 girls. That's a huge milestone for a non-profit volunteer-run organization and I am incredibly proud of what Eve's Circle has accomplished and the many lives we've touched. I feel like I can breathe now, you know. It's been five years, I've learned so much professionally and personally. I have enough under my belt, it's time to soar!
Eve's Circle was born out of a labor of love and this year we are celebrating our monumental milestone. Eve's Circle fifth birthday. Eve's Circle began as an idea, a thought, you know one of those what if moments you only share with the pages of your journals. Well that was me, for a long time Eve's Circle was my secret, I held her close to my heart and only shared her with the pages of my journals. I was recently sorting through old journals and it was in 1998 that, I would write down my goals and aspirations for working with young girls. It took nearly 9 years for me to get up and drive my dreams into action. Now look at us five years and still moving along full speed ahead.
As we embark on our fifth year, I want to say to anyone whose dreaming of doing something, just do it. If you have a dream, believe in yourself and your abilities to make it happen. When you fail or make mistakes, don't give up! Learn from them and keep moving forward. You have a place in this world and we need you! Be patient during this process, don't rush success or attempt to do anything out of timing. Stick to your plan, dream BIG & pursue your dreams. And listen, seriously you don't have to always learn from bad experiences, ask for help when you need it.
We are dreaming big for our fifth year and are looking forward to expanding some of our current programs and the implementation of our new programs. Even more importantly, the joy of seeing our girls change from the inside out makes it all worth while.
As we head into our fifth year, one thing is certain, we couldn't do it without our girls and their families. For those of you who stayed during major transitions, thank you and I love you! To our board of directors, our volunteers and our individual donors and corporate sponsors; we are grateful for you. And to my circle: my mom and dad, my baby sister, my brothers (one who is smiling down on from heaven--saying I told you so), to my entire family, my amazing daughter Jailyn, Maranda, Lecia, Jennifer, Daphne, Connie, Katherine, Val, Laurie, Richard, Joe, Michelle, Kim & Chelsa-THANK you for celebrating with me, lending a shoulder to cry on when I was discouraged and a swift kick in the rear end when I wanted to give up. I love you all so much!
All the best,
Tafeni L. English, M.S.
Happy New Year and welcome 2012!
I sense this is going to be a wonderful year for so many and I don’t know about anyone else, but I am excited. This past year proved to be one of the most challenging years since our beginning in 2007.
Nearly six months ago, Eve’s Circle was faced with making one of the toughest decisions since our inception. We were faced with the dreadful question: Do we close our doors forever? Honestly, it looked hopeless. After careful consideration and with the best interest of our girls in our hearts—the answer was certainly NOT! We know for certain, Eve’s Circle has a divine place in the movement and quitting was not an option.
As we move forward and focus our energies and efforts on the expansion and enhancement of our programs, we've prepared ourselves for the journey ahead of us. As I reflect on our humble beginnings---I am reminded of the labor of love in which Eve’s Circle began, and the labor of love in which it will continue.
Our Humble Beginnings
On March 2, 2007, I would take the first step toward connecting the missing pieces in my life. After several months of meditation and prayer—the decision was made and things began to make sense. After a decade of working with a national civil rights organization, I would venture out on my own. With the support and blessings from my family, friends and colleagues, I invested my entire savings into Eve’s Circle.
I would spend several months in meetings with school personnel, case workers, community workers, engaging groups of girls in dialogues and talking with parents---overwhelmingly they all confirmed what we’ve known, there was a need for what Eve’s Circle was offering to girls in the community. Girls are vulnerable to risky behavior and the factors driving these risky behaviors lead to bad choices that have devastating lifelong consequences. Three months later, with five interested parties, we launched our first interest meeting and three weeks later we held our first summer camp and that was just the beginning.
The Underground Railroad and a Bike
I guess you’re wondering what the Underground Railroad, a bike and Eve’s Circle have in common. Glad you asked. On April 2, 2008, a dear friend and courageous woman would travel by bike, the route of the Underground Railroad, the secret path taken by slaves seeking freedom. Her journey began in Mobile Alabama and ended 2,100 miles later in Owen Sound Ontario. And along the way she would raise funds for Eve’s Circle. We honor her courage, determination, endurance, and passion for believing in Eve’s Circle, our mission, and more importantly our girls. It is in this same spirit that we implement our programs.
The bike ride was not just about raising funds for Eve's Circle. The bike ride was symbolic of a more important message. The message that girls and women are smart, strong, intelligent, resilient and bold. They don't have to be reduced to the negative images we often times see in the media. The world is full of endless opportunities waiting for them to seize. As we continue our work, we will touch the lives of young girls who will leave their footprints in the world and we believe many of them will travel beyond the borders of Alabama impacting the world in meaningful ways.
Harriet Tubman said, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” This we believe and in this same spirit we move forward spreading the message of hope to the many girls we serve. After all when you change the life of a girl you will change the world.
Now that we’ve paused & recommitted ourselves to changing the lives of girls, we embrace every challenge and each new day knowing the work we do will have a lifelong impact on the girls we serve and their families.
Keep the eyes of your heart open for Eve’s Circle in 2012 and beyond!
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