Why I ROCK Girls Conference Celebrates Its 5th Anniversary

The Robert Phillips Regional Diversity Award winning Why I ROCK Girls Conference celebrates its 5th anniversary this year (Robert Phillips Regional Diversity Award Presentation: Sherrelle Jackson - YouTube). First featured in the Trauma Informed Oregon Newsletter in 2017 the conference grew from 60 girls to more than 120 pre-COVID. Last year with COVID the in-person conference was canceled, but with support from community it was able to successfully pivot to a virtual conference that, despite its last-minute nature, had more than 50 girls in attendance. This year we again capped registration for our virtual conference at 50 girls and developed a waitlist that continues to garner new names. 

The conference, held August 20, 10 a.m - 2:30 p.m., is embraced and beloved by the community because of its message to young Black/African American girls that “you are amazing, you have purpose, you are loved, you are important, and you can do anything you set your mind to,” as evidenced by the Black/African-American women leaders who make up this year’s roster. In the wake of an extreme social justice movement in the past year with the brutal deaths of George Floyd, Amaud Arbery, Breona Taylor and so many more, the social unrest around the world is sending a clear message decrying hate and racism.

The reason for the project

This conference began as a mechanism for sending that same message early to young girls aspiring to build positive self- esteem, culturally affirming identities, and interrupting negative narratives that plague Black/African-Americans and especially women. At early ages Black/African-American women are taught self hate (their hair, their bodies, their personalities, their mere presence) through messages that reinforce they do not belong. This conference combats that through saturating these young girls with Black/African-American leaders from here in the Northwest who are incredibly accomplished in their own right. They  facilitate culturally affirming workshops, host keynotes, facilitate panels, create mentorships and build lasting relationships with the girls so they can see a bright future for themselves.

Why I Rock 2021

This year’s conference features such notable women as representatives from the Oregon State Senate; US Airforce; our keynote speaker is Kali Thorne Ladd, Punchline Agency; Tra’Renee, an Emmy Award-Winning TV personality, daytime radio DJ for iHeartRadio's number-one rated show "The Tra'Renee Show" on JAM'N 107.5, former host of the KATU-TV show "Afternoon Live," and current host of her own new show "Situations and Conversations w/Tra'Renee" on KPDX; past Rose Festival queens; a previous Miss Black Oregon; the Jordan brand product manager; and Portland native New York Times Best Selling Author Renee Watson, a Jefferson High School alum.

Teen and young adult panelists will tell their stories of adversity and triumph, including Asjia O'Neal, Portland’s own Jordan Wings Scholarship Award Winner Zhada Allen; Rose Festival Past Queen Mya Brazille with her own Pdx Mural and new 2021 Oregon State University Chemical Engineering Graduate Mia Cowan, our Why I ROCK 2018 College Teen Special Feature and Honoree.

For more information visit WhyIROCK.org.