Girl Scouts Celebrate African American History Month

Venus Williams in Leader Magazine

In the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Leader magazine, tennis legend, Venus Williams, talks about courage and confidence and how to achieve your own goals.

The reigning and five-time singles champion at Wimbledon, Williams has won every other Grand Slam event at least once as both a singles and doubles player, and holds three Olympic gold medals. She is widely considered to be one of the few players in tennis history to have changed not only the face of tennis but also to have raised the level of play of her generation.

Williams is an athlete and public figure who exemplifies the best of what Girl Scouts teaches: having a strong body and living a healthy life; being a tough yet still gracious competitor; taking action for what is just; being a good sister; having a balanced life that includes interests beyond tennis. Though her schedule only allowed her to be a Girl Scout for a week. She still wore and treasured her Girl Scout sweater for many years.

In an interview with Leader from her home in Florida, Williams talked about being a role model, being on the right side of a big battle, and why it's so important to "know how to stay true to yourself."

"The message I like to convey to women and girls across the globe is that there is no glass ceiling."

"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does—that makes you a winner. Confidence comes with putting the work in and it comes with success, so that when you put the work in, you have the confidence that you can execute and succeed."

For more from Venus about leadership and confidence, read the full article in the Spring/Summer 2009 edition of Leader magazine.

All adult members of Girl Scouts receive a print copy of Leader by mail.

Non-member adults can subscribe for $19.95 a year (four issues). Send a check made out to Cashier, Girl Scouts of the USA, Attention: Leader Magazine, 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018-2798.

The New Leadership Landscape: What Girls Say about Election 2008
Conducted by the Girl Scouts Research Institute

Girl Scouts of the USA launched its new Girl Scout Leadership Development Experience during an historic presidential election involving two female candidates and culminating in the election of the first African American president. The campaign generated an unprecedented level of interest and engagement among young Americans, which observers believe heralds a new era of civic participation and activism among youth.

• The 2008 election has had a positive impact on youth in two important regards: 1) engendering interest in political and social issues among young people, and 2) positively affecting the self-perceptions of youth and their perceptions of their future possibilities and self-expression.
• 59% of girls reported that the election had a positive impact on their confidence in being able to achieve their goals in the future, and 51% of said it positively impacted their confidence in being able to change things in this country. This motivational impact was particularly pronounced among girls, non-Caucasians (African American youth in particular), those from big cities and from Democratic households, and among those who said they would have voted for Barack Obama.
• Four in ten girls said that the election has had a positive impact on their desire to be a leader. This perception is shared by higher percentages of African American youth.
• Substantial numbers (46% of girls and 38% of boys) reported that they think more highly of women's ability to lead than they did before the election.
• More girls strongly disagreed with statements such as "it's unladylike to be a leader" or "on the whole, men make better political leaders than women do" than did in 2007. More girls also said they believe that women are better than men at "managing money," "collaborating with others," and "handling a crisis."
• Engagement was particularly pronounced among African American girls and boys (83% and 75%, respectively).
• The involvement of two female candidates was one clear source of enthusiasm. The Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin campaigns generated a good deal of excitement among young girls. Seventy-five percent of girls said that they were excited about the two female candidates.
• Majorities of both girls (65%) and boys (59%) also expressed excitement about the election of the first African American president. African American respondents were particularly enthusiastic: 84% of girls and 80% of boys said they were "very excited" about the historic election.
• The majority of girls and boys believe that women and ethnic minorities will gain more high level government positions as a result of the 2008 election. Most also feel confident a woman will be elected to the United States presidency in their lifetimes. 71% percent of girls believe it is likely that a woman will be elected as president in the United States within the next 10 years; 22% believe it will "definitely" happen.