by Dwain Hebda

This summer, Sheila Franklin observed 25 years working in the juvenile court system in Conway, her hometown. In that time, she’s seen a lot of the worst that comes to kids that lack direction and structure in their lives. But what she saw three years ago changed the arc of her career and her life. 

“I had been witnessing over a timeframe an overflow of African-American girls coming into the court system for different reasons,” Franklin recalls. “Most of it was for disorderly conduct where they were charged with fighting at school, fighting each other. When they were asked why they were doing this, most of the answers were, ‘I don’t know.’

“Being the only African-American female that works for the court system, I felt overwhelmingly responsible for doing something. The Lord just kept waking me up at night saying, ‘You’ve got to do something. It’s not enough talking about it. You have to do something.’”

Franklin envisioned a mentor program for girls, a vision that became Young Empowered Sisters (YES) in 2015. YES mentors and mentees touch base for a minimum of one hour per week, preferably face-to-face. There are also monthly meetings, which feature speakers giving uplifting messages and showering the girls with the collective positive energy of the group. The group doesn’t limit itself to girls in the system, but is open to all African-American girls ages 12 to 18 to find a second chance or stay on the right path.

“We have speakers coming, pouring their heart out to these girls, giving their own personal testimonies of their humble beginnings,” Franklin said. “We’re allowing these girls to see things a little bit differently, not just from their parents or from their teachers, but from someone who’s volunteering to serve them because we want to.”

About 100 girls have gone through YES in its three years of existence, and there are plenty of success stories to back up Franklin’s belief that a positive, steady presence is often just what a young person needs to be their best self, no matter what they’ve been through.

Camelia Elliott, 17, is one such success. A senior at Conway High School, she’s bound for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock next fall where she will study psychology and English with an eye on becoming a criminal defense attorney.

“Since I’ve been in the YES program, I’ve stayed out of a lot of trouble,” she said. “I have a lot of resources to talk to and mentors. They take us to churches, and we just grow intellectually. I used to get in a lot of trouble, but then when I started dealing with them, it just made me feel like if I do (something bad), then I’ll be letting them down.

“And they are really supportive; you always have somebody to turn to and talk to if you can’t talk to your parents. They’re always there no matter what it is.”

The organization’s mission is so compelling, Franklin has been able to organize educational trips to Memphis and Atlanta for the group as well as regular activities. She said while some people mistakenly think YES is just for girls who have been in trouble with authority, many more have bought into her vision that love and guidance are the ultimate force in developing girls into confident young women. In fact, she currently has more mentors than she has girls to assign them.

“When I was coming up, my parents believed, and my neighbors and my friends’ parents believed, that it took a village to raise a child,” Franklin said. “When we meet with our girls, we are dedicated to helping to develop them and make sure that they understand who they are and assist them in becoming a better person overall.

“We want girls to know that we’re not there to judge them, we’re not there to fix them, we’re not there to lecture them or discipline them. We’re there to empower them. That’s what we’re there for.”

To learn more, reach Sheila Franklin at [email protected].