In response to the growing rates of mental health concerns, bullying, teenage sex trafficking, and other critical issues adolescent girls are facing in today’s world, Dr. Jasmine Zapata, in collaboration with national recording artist group Trilogy, social workers, youth counselors, ministers, authors, and various other youth empowerment specialists, will be launching a seven-city girls empowerment tour this weekend.
Dr. Zapata is an author, pediatrician, public health strategist, and founder of the Beyond Beautiful International Girl’s Empowerment Movement.
“This tour and this ‘Beyond Beautiful’ message is so important because in order to prevent a lot of the things that we’re seeing later on in life with our girls in the community … it’s so important to pour into them while they are at a young age and letting them know that they are loved and supported and empowering them to be resilient and courageous and confident,” Zapata tells Madison365.
The tour will consist of a series of girls empowerment conferences in seven cities across the Midwest including tour stops in Chicago area/Hammond, Indian on July 21, Madison on July 23, Beloit on July 26, Milwaukee on July 28, Racine on Aug. 2, Detroit on Sept. 15 and Cincinnati on Oct. 27. The Madison conference will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. at Vernee Nycole House of Beauty, 1702 S. Park Street.
This one of a kind and innovative approach to health promotion and youth empowerment will focus on the social, emotional and mental health of young women. The conferences are free and will include live musical performances by Trilogy as well as Dr. Zapata, who will be performing her signature “Beyond Beautiful” rap and song focused on inner beauty, resilience and self-esteem.
“For the last year and a half, I’ve been working with Trilogy to spread this message,” Zapata says. “I enjoy working with Trilogy because their music is uplifting and inspiring and as a medical doctor, it’s important for me to take care of the physical, mental, and emotional health of young people … so collaborating with Trilogy has been absolutely amazing.”
Conferences will also include free book giveaways, mentorship opportunities, special guests, and dynamic breakout discussions focusing on mental health, relationships, resilience, and other pressing topics preteen and teen girls face.
“We need to let our girls know that true beauty is not on the outside; it’s on the inside,” Zapata says.
This tour is part of Dr. Zapata’s larger “7 in 7” campaign in which she aims over the next 7 months to raise funds to sponsor the education of 7 girls from her partner organization in Kenya, the Samburu Girl’s Foundation, where her books have been translated to Swahili and serve as the mental health empowerment curriculum.
“This message is so important because there are increasing rates of depression, suicide, unhealthy behavior that are young people are facing. It’s just so important to protect them and to support them and to empower them any way we can,” Zapata says.
For more information about “Beyond Beautiful,” click here.
