Recent Successes

Third Annual Ladies Tea

The Third Annual Cinnamongirl Ladies Tea was a great success—even the media attended! (Oakland Tribune article on our web site) Newcomers, supporters, mentors, board members and many of the Cinnamongirls enjoyed the afternoon tea at Oakland’s lovely Bellevue Club. Cinnamongirls Adrianne Batiste, Ashley Nelson and Jada Pugh read their essays on their experience as Cinnamongirls, inspiring guests with their progress, ambition and maturity. Spoken word poetry and a jazz band kept the event lively; the Precious Stone ceremony was a unifying, significant activity. Special thanks to Vanessa Donaville and the CGI mentors for their special efforts in making the 2008 tea possible.

Links, Inc. Youth Symposium

While the older Cinnamongirls attended the Boys Dialogue, our younger Cinnamongirls attended the Alameda Contra Costa Links Youth Symposium, “Respect Yourself”. The girls engaged in an array of seminars held at UC Berkeley. It was a huge hit; one parent wrote, “I'm so happy for the insight, thank you for choosing the right programs and events for the Cinnamongirls to attend … I love Cinnamongirl.”

Boys Dialogue

The flagship Boys Dialogue was hosted Feb. 9th by the African American students at Stanford University. This annual dialogue enables the Cinnamongirls to have their delicate and important questions on love, relationships, sex and celibacy answered by ambitious young men and women. Older Cinnamongirls, ages 14-17, participated in thorough discussions about choices, celibacy, how to maintain healthy relationships, core values, priorities and the importance of school in a young person’s social life. This dialogue remains the favorite and most valued of the Cinnamongirls.

Respect Discussion

Like many teens, Cinnamongirls are seeking the appropriate respect from boys, friends, parents and strangers. The “Respect” discussion took the approach of educating the girls in the importance of gaining and giving respect. They discussed different scenarios where there was disguised disrespect shown to friends and parents with a panel of Mills College and Stanford students. The Cinnamongirls learned the great value of seeing situations through different perspectives. The discussion was fruitful as the girls realized how respect is reciprocated.