She’s Valuable Movement focuses on female HBCU students to drive self worth and confidence
Knowing and understanding how our values and personal experiences affects our actions and emotions can create the building blocks to gaining self-worth and confidence. As women, we are often inflicted with challenges that that threaten the existence of who we are and who we can become. A lack of self-confidence transcends all geographical and cultural distinctions and is a common feeling held by women of diverse backgrounds and stages in life.
That’s where Dominique Clark comes in. The Certified Matchmaker and Relationship Expert found an unprecedented pattern of women who possessed a shortage of self worth during her discovery sessions. As a result, she created She’s Valuable (But Does She Know It?), a book, and now a movement, to help women understand their value, appreciate their self-image, and celebrate their self-worth. The She's Valuable Movement is for all women, with an extension of it primarily focusing on female college students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), to drive self-worth and self-ownership.
During the Fall and Spring of 2016 and 2017, Dominique will travel to HBCUs around the country to speak with college-aged females about embracing their truths and understanding their values. She notes that there are a multitude of programs and movements for women’s empowerment, but many do not focus on helping “plant the seed” to instill self-worth in a generation that is fighting to understand themselves. Black females make up 61 percent of enrollment at HBCUs and will be a part of the highest educated group in the United States once they graduate. “[Black] women have the responsibility of preparing girls to go out in the world when they’ve achieved a certain level of confidence and success,” says Dominique.
By helping HBCU female students understand the importance of their value and self-worth, Dominique hopes to help prepare them for the disparities that face black women, including making 64 cents to every dollar a white male makes, limited support for leadership opportunities in corporate America, and a lack of access to funding for black female entrepreneurs. She hopes to foster a proactive culture of young women who are not intimidated or demotivated about the potentially scary realities of love, relationships, and careers after graduation.
In a Google Hangout interview, Dominique gives The Skinny Black Girl’s Code some advice about developing self worth. Here are the highlights:
The promotion of self-image and the understanding of self-worth drive us – Mainstream media and popular culture can alter your perception about yourself. You become your own worst critic when you begin to compare yourself to others. Look in the mirror, recognize you are good enough, and focus on the person that you see.
Self worth is found through self-awareness and reflections of the past – Observe how you respond and interact with people and yourself. Create a baseline of understanding and use what you know now to pinpoint areas in your past that have helped mold you. You are in control of the language that is attached to your story. Utilize a journal to rewrite your narrative by accepting your past and realizing that there is life and death in the power of your words.
Understand the power we give to people and situations – Dominique recalls an embarrassing and traumatic event that effected how she interacted with others in middle school and through her adult life. Understand that you will go through hurt, shame, and insecurities as a natural part of life. It is important not to dwell on situations or people out of our control and focus on what you can do to move forward from the situation to be a better person. You never know – your experience may be a catalyst to help someone else in the future.
Gain confidence by giving confidence to others – We all have strengths and weaknesses. Use your strengths to help a friend or partner who may be struggling with confidence. Relationships are not a selfish endeavor – be self-less by accepting who they are, affirming them along the way, and being there for them during a time of weakness. Don’t try to change who the person is. Understand their love language (and yours) to learn how to communicate effectively and create a safe space for transparency, dialogue, and a free flow of emotions.
Break away from others who fear your confidence – Women are often worried about intimidating their future partners when they are striving for success and achievement. Remember to never dim your light because someone else doesn’t understand who you are. The person you are supposed to be with will not be intimidated by your confidence – they will become inspired and empowered by it!
Watch the full interview here:
To learn more about Dominique Clark and the She’s Valuable Movement, visit www.dclarkandcompany.com or on Twitter and Instagram.
