Ages 18-25

This stage in life is filled with ideas, uncertainty, and lots of change! Transitioning from late adolescence to young adulthood is the part of life where you're legally considered an adult but far from being an emotional or logical adult. Most young adults struggle to balance the responsibility and the freedom of being a newfound adult. This phase of life is filled with reckless behavior and the naïveté that they will have the world all figured out, and this is when most young adults are given grace in their mistakes and sometimes foolish decisions.
Young Black women enter into this final phase of womanhood and are often well aware that the traditional rules of life do not apply. Black women in this age group have been taught through their experiences that they must transition into each more mature, well behaved, remain loyal to their detriment, and they must be quiet about it all.

Closing the workplace gap…

Lack of opportunities and mentorship are significant contributors to young Black women's gradual progression in academic and professional settings. Some young Black women are the first in their families to attend and graduate college. Therefore, they may lack the proper support they need for their ultimate success. Young Black women who lack support may be sidelined and forced to take periodic breaks, extending the time it traditionally takes to graduate from college. As Black women enter the workplace, they are often the only Black woman in the room, and they are more likely to experience prejudice at work. Black women endure micro insults, microinvalidation, and micro-assaults in the workplace daily.

Growing Pains

Young Black women and gender-expansive youth enter into this final phase of womanhood and are often well aware that the traditional rules of life do not apply. Black women in this age group have been taught through their experiences that they must transition into each more mature, well behaved, remain loyal to their detriment, and they must be quiet about it all.

Abound program is designed to teach young Black women the power of networking, mentorship, and guidance. By creating a mentorship program, we can make a system of Black women across multiple fields and connect them with young women who are just forming their careers.